Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
by Jubes2681
Summary: A Christmas romance with RoLo, with a serious tone in the later chapters...Chapters 17 is finally up...Please R&R!
1. Rockin' around the Christmas tree

A/N: I took it upon myself to declare it time for a nice Christmas story, even though it's kinda early.  ;)  I also decided that the "new" X-Men (Storm, Wolverine, etc) have been a part of the X-Men for about eight years, since they never really tell us in the comics…

A/N part 2: This is based on the comics and might tie into my other stories if it goes well. I'm a Ro/Lo shipper all the way and this is the possible beginning of my Ro/Lo relationship storyline. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters (despite my deepest wishes). I only ask them to come out and play when Stan Lee's not looking…ok, now on with the story!

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Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (pt1/?)

          It was quiet and it must've been close to two in the morning. A lone figure stood in the middle of the backyard, his hands shoved in his pockets. He didn't think it was too cold, but he was just lying to himself. Shivering slightly in his flannel and jeans, Logan watched the snow float down onto the ground and looked back at the mansion. A few bedroom lights were still shining through the windows, but he supposed they were most likely doing some last minute wrapping. After all, it was Christmas Eve. 

          Logan noticed the lights in the loft were off and he sighed slightly. He was hoping she'd still be awake, but no such luck. He hoped she would understand his gift this year, but he didn't want to hope too much. So far, she hadn't picked up on his deeper meaning of the thoughtful and often expensive gifts over the past five years. Burying that line of thought and his emotions, his shoulders slumped a little and he turned to go inside. The snow was almost a foot deep and he smiled, knowing Jubilee would be ecstatic. Last Christmas hadn't been all that white and she had been rather disappointed about it. 

          He pushed his way to the garage door on the side of the house and scooped the snow away so he could pry open the door. Once inside the dark garage, he shook off the snow and hung his wet flannel on a hook, leaving him dressed in a simple black tee shirt. With a grunt, he kicked off his boots and opened the door to the kitchen. 

          "Good morning, Logan."

          He almost jumped ten feet, but he would never admit that. Instead, he tried to act calm and turned to face the speaker.

          "Hey, Ororo." He greeted. "How come yer still awake? Yer light's been off fer a while."

          "I was waiting for you to come in." She replied. Ororo was wearing red silk pajamas and big white fluffy slippers. She was sipping on a mug of hot chocolate while eating a homemade sugar cookie. Her hair was down and slightly curled. Logan nearly sighed in appreciation, but he caught himself.

          "Why's yer hair curly?" Logan asked. He poured himself a glass of milk in the meantime, much to Ororo's surprise.

          "I was shopping with Rogue today and she insisted I get my hair done." Ororo rolled her eyes at the memory.

          "You went shopping today? On Christmas Eve?" He raised an eyebrow. "Yer braver than I am."

          "It was not by choice." She smiled. "I promised I would help her buy a gift for Remy."

          "It looks nice." He said, with his back to her.

          "Why thank you, Logan. No one else seemed to notice today."

          "I'm always watching, darlin'."

          He glanced at her over his shoulder to flash her a crooked grin and then turned to open the cookie jar. Jean had made a fresh batch of chocolate chip that day and he just couldn't resist milk and cookies on Christmas Eve. Since coming to the mansion, he had always had this late night snack on Christmas Eve. Of course, this was the first time he had been caught in the act over the past eight years, so Ororo was staring at him, very much shocked.

          "What are you doing?"

          "I'm preparing to fight Sabretooth. What does it look like?" 

          "I never would have guessed that you were a 'milk and cookies' kind of man, Logan. To say the least, I am surprised." 

          "Hmph." He mumbled around a mouthful of cookie. "Ya just never asked." 

          "No, I guess not." 

          "So why were ya waitin' fer me, Windrider?"

          Ororo Munroe was usually very straightforward and confident when dealing with her friends, especially Logan. However, at his question, Ororo suddenly felt like a young girl once more. She was nervous and started to fidget with her cup of hot chocolate. And of course Logan noticed. He sat down across from her at the island and dipped a cookie into his milk, waiting for her to answer.

          "I was…" She trailed off, looking for the right word. "Well, I guess I was lonely. I was hoping you'd keep me company for a little while."

          Logan raised his head and simply looked at her, at a loss for words. She was lonely and wanted to spend time with him. While he had the same feelings, he was surprised she felt the same way. Then again, they had been close friends for some time, so maybe he was just putting too much thought into it.

          "Well I'd be happy t'stay up with ya fer a while, darlin'." He smiled with a cookie between his teeth. He held out another cookie and Ororo began wondering how many he was planning on eating. "Cookie?"

          Ororo smiled and took the offered cookie. Without asking, she dunked her cookie in his glass and he chuckled. 

          "So what did you buy Jubilee for Christmas this year? She's been shaking the box all day." Ororo asked between bites.

          "You'll see." He replied. "I'm not one to tell. Where's the fun in opening gifts if no one's surprised tomorrow morning?"

          "You're right, as usual, Logan. I sometimes can't help but ask. I suppose it's the child in me."

          "C'mon. Let's go check on the Christmas tree and make sure nothin's on fire." He stood and picked up his glass of milk, almost protectively. He then reached into the jar once again and pulled out a handful of chocolate chip goodness. 

          Ororo followed his example and grabbed a few cookies for herself. They walked down the hallway silently and entered the front den. A large Christmas tree sat in the middle of the room, cut down by Logan and Hank almost a week before. Everyone had added to its decorations, even Logan, and the colored lights filled the room with a soft rainbow-like glow. Together, they sat on the old couch in the room that was known to be the most comfortable in the entire mansion. They each sat on an end, leaving the middle cushion empty, and turned to talk to each other. Ororo had pulled her legs up underneath her and her slippers were left on the floor.

          "So, where'd such a refined lady get those fluff balls?" Logan asked, pointing to her slippers.

          "An early gift from Remy." She explained, nibbling on a cookie. "He claimed that they 'screamed Stormy' when he saw them."

          "Ha!" Logan laughed. "You'd only let him get away with somethin' like that."

          "Yes, I do let him get away with quite a lot, that awful 'Stormy' name being one thing."

          "Hey, at least yer not 'Wolvie' or 'Wolvster' or 'Wolverino'." 

          "I suppose I should count my blessings, hm?"

          They smiled and continued to eat their cookies in silence. Ororo's eyes wandered to the stockings hung on the mantel and smiled. Quite a few of them were very tattered looking and should've been replaced years ago.

          "Do you remember our first Christmas here?"

          "How could I forget?" Came his reply. "It was just us, the Elf, and Seany boy. The five goodie two shoes and everyone else all went home and Chuck went to Muir Island to visit Moira. It's one of the best holidays we've had, I think." 

          "I agree. I remember that Kurt was so excited. He bought all of us gifts and I did not know anything about exchanging Christmas gifts!" Ororo laughed. "I was so embarrassed when he gave me a present and I had nothing to give him in return."

          "Hey, you managed." Logan said. 

"I had to give everyone plants because I had little else to give." She said, embarrassed.

"I kept that plant fer years. It died when we went to Australia, though."

"I did not know you had kept it."

"Yeah, we all kept 'em. I think Kurt's survived until recently."

Ororo smiled and stole a gulp of milk from Logan.

"I definitely liked what Sean got me."

          "Well, a bottle of Irish Whiskey isn't what I would have called a 'Christmas gift'."

          "Hey, you just said yerself ya didn't know anythin' about Christmas, so who're you to judge?" He said, his voice revealing a hint of amusement.

          "You could've told me." She defended herself, smiling. "No one bothered to tell me why we had a tree in the house with bulbs and lights on it."

          "Yeah, but ya figured it out. Besides, it was a lot more entertainin' watchin' you look at everyone else like a bunch of idiots." 

          "I just did not know why they would cut down and bring a tree inside!" 

          "It is kinda ridiculous." He agreed. As he dusted off some crumbs from his shirt, he stood up and walked to the radio. Ororo watched him and drank the rest of his milk as he put on a CD. To her surprise, Judy Garland's voice spilled out of the speakers. 

          _"Have yourself a merry little Christmas_

          Let your heart be light…" 

          After placing the empty glass on the table, Ororo looked up to find Logan's hand extended to her. She slipped her hand into his and was pulled into a relaxed embrace. They began dancing together and Ororo smiled. While she was taller than him, this still felt right and she was perfectly happy at that exact moment.
    
    _"Once again as in olden days_
    
    _Happy golden days of yore_
    
    _Faithful friends who are near to us_

Will be dear to us once more…" 

          They continued to sway to the song and Logan inhaled deeply, taking in all of the scents at that very moment, committing them to memory. Ororo leaned back and looked into his eyes. They both smiled and he leaned into her once again. 
    
              "_Someday soon we all will be together_
    
    _          If the fates allow_
    
    _          Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow_
    
    _          So have yourself a merry little Christmas now"_

          Ororo's heart dropped slightly when Judy Garland's song ended. She didn't want this moment to end. However, her fear faded as she heard the sweet voice of Bing Crosby pouring out of the stereo seconds later. Logan's voice soon joined and she almost laughed. Who knew Logan had such a nice voice?

_          "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas_

_          Just like the ones I used to know_

_          Where the treetops glisten_

_          And children listen _

_To hear sleigh bells in the snow…"_

He continued to sing to her as they danced around the room and her eyes seemed to twinkle with joy. As Brenda Lee suddenly came on, Logan brazenly dipped her and she clutched to his shirt, laughing. He spun her around and laughed as she almost hit the tree.

_"Rockin' around the Christmas tree_

_Have a happy holiday…"_

          As the song ended, they both collapsed onto the couch, laughing as if they were children. Neither noticed it was almost four in the morning as they shared their final cookie.

          "I didn't know you could sing."

          "Not too many people do, so keep it to yerself or else Chuck'll have me singing those awful carols tomorrow." He winked at her and she nodded. 

          "You're secret's safe with me."

          "We're outta cookies." Logan said sadly.

          Ororo glanced at the clock and gasped.

          "It's four!" 

          "So it is." He smiled at her horrified expression.

          "I still have presents to wrap!" Ororo jumped up and slid on her slippers. "I did not think we would be up so late."

          "Ya want some help, darlin'?" He asked, standing next to her. He fought the urge to wrap his arm around her waist protectively. 

          "No, I think I can manage. But thank you, Logan." She paused. "For tonight."

          He winked at her as they exited the den. 

"Don't mention it, 'Ro." 

After a quick stop in the kitchen, they walked up the stairs together towards her loft.

          "Well, see ya in a few hours. Maybe I can get another dance from ya tomorrow night?" 

          She shrugged slightly, teasing him. "Who says I'm not already spoken for tomorrow night?"

          "I'll just kill whoever's with ya." He said, a lop-sided grin just barely visible.

          "Goodnight, Logan." She smiled, shaking her head. 

"Yeah, yeah. G'night, darlin'." He hit her on the ass lightly as she turned and she glared at him as he made a hasty retreat to his room, chuckling the whole way.

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Well, should I continue or just toss this in the garbage?? Please R&R and let me know what you think!  

~*PAF*~ Jubes


	2. A date for New Year's Eve

A/N: Thanks so much for all the reviews! You guys sure know how to make a girl feel at home! And upon demand, here's part two…I'm sorry it's so short – I'll make the next part longer. As always, I appreciate any reviews/comments/suggestions from my readers!

Disclaimer: Same old, same old…

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Part 2: On the twelfth day of Christmas…

          By nine in the morning, most of the household was up and about. Fresh cinnamon rolls with icing were passed around the dining table and pancakes soon joined the meal. Jean and Rogue were cooking up a storm in the kitchen and they soon joined their friends and family with four more large platters of assorted breakfast food. 

          "Ah hope this takes care o'everyone! Ah've had it with cookin' foah today." Rogue announced as she placed a platter of sausage and bacon down. Hank quickly lifted the dish and it was passed around the table.

          "Did anyone wake Ororo?" Jean asked as a plate of blueberry muffins was lifted from her hand by Remy.

          "I didn't think she needed a wake-up call." Jubilee commented, stuffing the remains of a cinnamon roll in her mouth.

          "Normally she doesn't." Charles agreed. "And where's Logan? He usually can't sleep through this noise."

          As if on cue, the two old friends walked in the door, both looking rather tired.

          "Good morning, everyone." Ororo greeted, smiling as she sat next to Jean.

          "Yeah, Merry Christmas." Logan nearly grunted to his friends. "Now where's the coffee?"

          The plates were passed around and Logan took his normal mound of food. He quickly chugged a mug of coffee and poured himself a second cup before handing the caffeinated beverage to Ororo. She rolled her eyes at his plate and took three pancakes and some sausage.

          "Big eater today, eh Stormy?" Remy cracked. Normally all she would eat for breakfast was half of a grapefruit or maybe a bagel. 

          "I am hungry." She replied simply. "And do not call me that ridiculous name."

          "O'course, Stormy, wouldn't dream of it."

          Ororo gave him a playful 'I hate you' glare and poured an excessive amount of maple syrup on her plate.

          "Whoa, slow down, dere Stormy! No need to drown de pancakes. What'd dey do to you?" Remy teased.

          "Shuddup, Swamp Rat." Rogue said as she hit his leg. "Ah tryin' t'eat mah breakfast and yoah voice is givin' me a headache."

          "Bobby, you better unfreeze that coffee and I mean now!" Jean scolded, holding the frozen pot.

          "I didn't do anything, Jeannie, I swear!" He raised his hands in innocence. 

          Grumbling, Jean got a second pot of coffee from the kitchen and Logan took it off her hands once she poured herself a steaming mug.

          "Jeez, Wolvie, that's yer third cup of coffee and you've only been here for like 2 minutes!" Jubilee exclaimed. "What you'd do, stay up all night?"

          "Somethin' like that." He replied.

          Breakfast continued with similar comments and friendly banter until Charles announced it was time to open the gifts. Jubilee tried to contain her excitement, but failed miserably despite being sixteen now. Gifts were carefully passed around the room and soon ribbons and colored paper littered the floor. While everyone was opening gifts and exchanging thanks, Logan approached Ororo with a small gift bag in his hand.

          Logan handed the gift to Ororo and she gave him a box with a small smile. He had stepped the gift up this year and was hoping he didn't over-do it. In the past, he had stuck to little things like simple earrings or sometimes even nice clothes (when Jean helped him shop). Last year he'd stepped up a little and had given her a rare African flowering plant. He had even flown to the African coast to hunt it down after Hank helped him locate its natural habitat. Of course, he couldn't remember the name of the flower now if he tried, but she had been so happy so it was well worth it.

          "You first, darlin'." 

          She carefully pulled the tissue from the gift bag and began searching for the gift that lay hidden inside. First she pulled out a flat, square box and then a card. She fumbled with the bag slightly and pulled out another small box. 

          "What should I open first?" Ororo asked. 

          "The boxes." He said, leaning on the arm of the couch.

          She slowly pulled the ribbon off of the square box and opened it. A glittering necklace greeted her eyes and she gasped. It was made of flat platinum and ended in a curved point. A blue sapphire teardrop was set in the point and was surrounded by small diamonds. It wasn't too big or thick. It was simply stunning. Before she could comment, he handed her the small box and she opened it carefully. As she flipped the top open, she almost gasped again as she saw two matching teardrop earrings.

          "Logan, this is too much." She said softly. 

          "So ya like 'em?" He smiled.

          "They're beautiful." Ororo's mouth hung open. She gently touched the necklace and was surprised at how smooth the metal was.

          "Ya still got the card." Logan reminded her.

          "Oh of course." She replied, thinking it was just a Christmas card. After she pulled the card out, she almost burst out laughing. It was a picture of two doves sitting in a tree over a small boy with his mouth open catching snowflakes, getting ready to drop their own 'gifts'. Ororo softly chuckled and opened the card. Inside were two tickets to the New York Philharmonic New Year's Eve concert. Ororo secretly loved George Gershwin and she had known that the New Year's Eve show was dedicated to his music this year. She had mentioned it to Logan months ago but the tickets had been sold out for ages. 

She read over the tickets in disbelief and noticed they were orchestra seats. Again, her mouth dropped. These were the best seats in the house and they must've cost him a fortune on top of the amazing jewelry. 
    
              "How on earth did you get tickets?" She asked, shocked.
    
              "I got my ways." He winked. 

          "Thank you so much, Logan." Her eyes were shimmering from unshed tears.

          "Merry Christmas, Ororo." 

          They exchanged a simple kiss, which wasn't too unusual for them, but something seemed different this time. Ororo felt her heart speed up and she felt slightly flushed. Logan could smell a new scent from her – desire? He wasn't sure and it rattled him. Logan broke away first and stood up, feeling suddenly awkward.

          "I'm gonna grab somethin' to drink. Ya want anythin'?"

          "Uh, no, I'm fine." Ororo replied, also shaken. 

          Logan quickly left the den and stood in the hallway, breathing deeply.

          _What the hell was that about?_ He thought to himself. _Maybe she's finally catching on to what I've been doin'. Or maybe she's just happy and I got confused from her scent. _

          He stood there, debating with himself, for a moment longer before Jubilee bumped into him.

          "Hey, Wolvie!" She greeted, a cup of hot chocolate in her hands. "You wanna exchange gifts now?"

          "I'll be back in a minute and then we can, ok, darlin'? I need somethin' to drink." He ruffled her hair and she grumbled at him.

          "Hey, don't mess the do!"

          "Ya got some serious bed-head." He said, walking to the kitchen. "Didn't know it was a 'do'!"

          He heard her mumble something in reply about his 'do' but he was listening. Somehow, Ororo had managed to get to the kitchen before he did. 

          _Must've gone through the dining room._ He thought.

          "Logan, I must ask you something." She said, pouring him a glass of eggnog. 

          "Ok, darlin', shoot." He paused. "But I'd try t'make it quick, otherwise Jube'll be on a manhunt fer me."

          "Why the jewelry?"

          "Simple. I couldn't take ya out to the show without somethin' nice and flashy around yer neck." He grinned as she gave him the 'you are impossible' look. "Every lady deserves t'have a nice set of jewelry and I know ya don't have much in that department." He paused to sip the thick drink. "Besides, the necklace and earrings will match that nice blue gown ya got." With that, he turned and made his way back to the den.

          Ororo stood in the kitchen and marveled at the man who meant so much to her. He had taken into consideration the dress she would wear and probably even knew what perfume she would put on, despite his protests. He noticed everything, as always, and she sometimes forgot how considerate he could be. Then again, he was usually only like this around her, Kitty and Jubilee, so it wasn't a very common occurrence. As the weather goddess picked up her eggnog, a large smile spread across her face. She suddenly realized that she had a date for New Year's Eve for the first time in years with one of the nicest men she had ever known. Life couldn't get much better.

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Please R&R so I know what you guys think! Any suggestions for Ororo's gift to Logan would be wonderful – I'm having a hard time thinking of something! D'oh! 

~*PAF*~  
Jubes


	3. Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time

A/N: Thanks so much for the wonderful praise you've all given! I especially want to thank an anonymous reviewer who gave me the idea for the Christmas gift…it worked well (I hope!). 

Oh and Sprinkles, I'm glad to have helped out your writer's block! Thanks for the "drunk from eggnog" idea, too! And not to worry…they'll have a date before too long, I promise…

I might still write a "end of the night" part for the next segment, so maybe a 'real' kiss will happen, as per Sprinkles' and Blades' suggestions…Who knows? My muse hasn't told me yet!

Disclaimer: yadda, yadda, yadda…don't sue…I'm a poor college student and it's not my fault my muse makes me use these guys!

Ok, now on with part 3…

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Part 3: Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time…

          As Ororo entered the den, Remy swiftly came up to her and dipped her. With a cocky smile, he planted a sweet kiss on her lips and then lifted her back to her feet.

          "Remy!" She squealed. "Let me go!"

          "But you be under de mistletoe, chère." He grinned, pointing up. 

          "I do not care!" Ororo laughed.

          "Ah, you break dis boy's heart, Stormy." 

          "Do not call me that." 

          He flashed her one of his more charming smiles and let go of her waist with a slight bow. She laughed and then looked around the room for Logan as Remy sauntered back to Rogue, trying to look innocent. Logan had gone back to their original chair and she slowly made her way over there. After all, he still had to open her gift. She sat on the armchair and placed the box in his lap.

          "I hope you like it." She said.

          With a nod and a wink, Logan carefully opened the package. Two long velvet pouches were inside and he lifted one with a sideways glance at Ororo. She sipped her eggnog, trying not to seem too anxious as he opened his gift.

_She is just so beautiful_, he thought randomly. 

With a slight shake of his head, he pulled the silk string and the pouch opened up. The lights glinted off metal and he pulled out an amazing decorated sai. The handle was wrapped in black leather and a silver thread was wound around it. A traditional Japanese dragon was etched into the metal with just a hint of green and red color in the tiny crevices. He opened the other pouch and slid out a matching sai. Instead of a dragon, it was a bonsai tree etched carefully into the metal. Upon closer inspection of both sais, he noticed a few Japanese characters etched on the base of the metal. Honor. Loyalty. Respect. Love. 

It was Logan's turn to be dumbfounded. He had seen sais similar to these in Mariko's house so many years ago and he remembered noting how beautiful they were. Ororo must've seen them, too, when she had come for the wedding, he realized. 

"Ororo…" He trailed off, looking up at her. At that moment, Ororo couldn't remember when she had a larger smile on her face. 

"I'm so glad you like them." 

"They're wonderful." 

He leaned up and gave her a gentle kiss. Again, a tingling sensation ran up Ororo's spine and it was her turn to pull away first. He noticed she was blushing and turned away, trying not to notice her increased heart rate and the scent of desire washing over his senses.

"Merry Christmas." They said at the same time and it broke the sudden tension. They broke into laughter and suddenly noticed everyone else in the room. Ororo realized they had been in their own little world for most of the morning and she stood up.

"I'm going to pass out some more gifts, Logan." She announced.

"Yeah, me too." He nodded, placing the sais carefully to the side of the chair.

He watched her walk towards Remy and Rogue and sighed. Her hips had such a subtle yet amazingly sexy sway to them. As she walked, her hair seemed to float around her, almost like a halo of sorts, he mused. Her laughter reached his ears and it was one of the best sounds he had ever known. 

_Jesus, bub, ya got it bad._

He blinked a few times and came back to reality. Jubilee was walking towards him with a present and he quickly remembered it was Christmas, which he had forgotten while he was lost in his thoughts. He put on his best smile, which was more of a sideways grin, and tried to forget about his deeper feelings for Ororo for the rest of the morning.

Later that night…

          The annual Christmas party was well underway by 10pm that night. Most of the 'X-Family' was in attendance and everyone was gathered in the den. Christmas lights were hung on the mantle and over the windows, giving the room a soft glow. The scent of pine hung in the air and it mingled with the sweet smells of apple and pumpkin pie. Sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies were laid out. Of course, this was after Jean had to make up a new batch, all the while giving Logan an evil, knowing glare.

Earlier in the evening, Logan had made sure the eggnog was the real deal with a little help from his good friends Captain Morgan and Jack Daniels. Most people didn't even notice, as per usual. He had perfected what he called the 'Eggnog Ratio' of the two potent alcohols a long time ago and he managed to get just about everyone drunk at every Christmas party. (Plus, he noted, it helped that Jeannie made sure there was a constant circulation of rather full wine glasses.) He chuckled to himself as he looked around at the results of his (and Jean's) handiwork.

Charles was extremely talkative and kept laughing at very stupid jokes. Rogue was hooking up a karaoke machine, which was never a good sign, and Jubilee was enthusiastically helping. He noticed with a wince that she had a large cup of eggnog in one hand. 

_Oh well_, he inwardly chuckled. _Not like it'll kill the kid._

Scott was feeling pretty good, he noticed. He was using his hands quite a lot when he was talking, which was always a pretty good indication that good old One Eye was on his way to getting plastered. Jean had a little sway to her step, as did Ororo. In fact, they were defiantly leaning on each other for support as they walked into the kitchen, laughing hysterically as they went. Remy was pretending to be fine as he talked to Rogue, but Logan could hear him slurring his words every so often. Bobby was having a little too much fun making icicles for the tree and had made a few for Hank's fur. Being the distinguished doctor that he is, Henry proceeded to smash caramelized popcorn in his friend's hair. 

Kurt was in the holiday spirit, that was for sure. He had a Santa Claus hat on his head and was holding mistletoe in one hand. So far, he had managed to steal a kiss from Jean, Ororo, Jubilee, Kitty and even Emma. His goal was Rogue and he was trying to find a safe way to pull that off.

"Merry Christmas, mein freund." He greeted as he appeared next to Logan.

"Thanks, elf, but ya already said that about five times t'me tonight."

"Ja, it must be your verdammt eggnog!" Kurt laughed.

"I don't know what yer talkin' about, bub." Logan said, winking.

Kurt gave him an obvious wink in return and then leaned on his friend's shoulder. 

"So I hear you're taking Ororo out for New Year's?" 

"Word travels fast." Logan mumbled, rolling his eyes. 

"It's good, mein freund." 

"Why's that, Kurt?"

"Da Du bist das Verlieben."

Logan sighed. He understood his friend's words and he was grateful he spoke in German. Logan didn't want any eavesdroppers.

"Nein, ich liebe sie schon."

"Es freut mich sehr zu hören, dass..." 

"Yo, Wolvie, you gotta sing for us!" Jubilee called over, ending the discussion.

"In yer dreams, darlin'." Logan replied, sipping on a glass of eggnog.

"Why not?" Kurt said, looking at his friend shocked. "You have a wunderbar voice! I've heard you sing in your shower!"

"Shuddup, Kurt." Logan warned, raising his eyebrow.

"Ah picked out a song everyone knows, sugah. Y'all do just fine!" Rogue encouraged.

          "Yes, Logan, why not enchant us all?" Hank called over. Logan glared at the good doctor but Hank just smiled his toothy grin and threw back a glass of wine like it was a shot.

          Out of the corner of his eye, Logan saw a flash of white and red. Ororo and Jean were each holding glasses of wine and waiting to hear his answer. 

As he looked over at her, she did it. The ultimate clincher move. The 'no man can say no' move. The 'I better get my Canadian ass up there to sing if I ever want to see her naked' move. Ororo winked at him and gave him a sweet (albeit drunken) smile. If she had only done that, he would've been fine. But then she just had to go and lick her top lip in an extremely seductive yet challenging way. The move had been made. It was his turn to step up to the plate and he didn't dare miss the ball.

Not one to turn down the challenge, Logan put down his cup and gave Kurt a look that read 'I am so whipped'. Amid drunken hoots and catcalls, he made his way to the karaoke machine but didn't take the microphone Rogue held out.

"I won't need one a'those." He said simply. 

"Izzat song ok, Wolvster?" Jubilee slurred, pointing to the screen.

"How's about this one instead?" Logan said, picking up a tape.

 Jubilee and Rogue nodded and quickly set up the machine. Everyone in the room had their eyes glued to Logan. Most of his friends were afraid to hear his gruff voice try to sing, but Ororo was smiling like a fool and Kurt was giving him a 'thumb's up'.

_"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire_

_Jack Frost nipping at your nose_

_Yuletide carols being sung by a choir_

_And folk dressed up like Eskimos_

_Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe_

_Can help to make the season bright_

_Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow_

_Will find it hard to sleep tonight_

_They know that Santa's on his way_

_He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh_

_And every mother's child is gonna spy _

_To see if reindeer really know how to fly_

_And so I'm offering this simple phrase_

_For kids from one to ninety-two_

_Although it's been said many times, many ways_

_Merry Christmas to you_

_They know that Santa's on his way_

_He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh_

_And every mother's child is gonna spy _

_To see if reindeer really know how to fly_

_And so I'm offering this simple phrase_

_For kids from one to ninety-two_

_Although it's been said many times, many ways_

_Merry Christmas to you"_

As he carried the last note to completion, he noticed he had captivated (or maybe just shocked) his audience. Hank began clapping and soon everyone joined in. Rogue gave a few hoots and Jean began calling out 'encore!'. 

"That was wonderful, Logan!" Charles said, smiling. "I never knew you could sing."

"And this is why." Logan cracked. Charles laughed loudly, again a sign of how drunk the man was, and suggested he sing another song.

"Ok, ok." Logan finally spoke up. "I'll sing one more, but I ain't using this stupid machine again."

Henry nodded in agreement and quickly sat himself at the piano that was to the left of the tree. After some fumbling with the keys, Hank started playing It Came Upon a Midnight Clear. 

Ororo walked (or rather stumbled) over to Logan and stood by his side, smiling. He glared at her and was ready to give her a sarcastic comment about how drunk she was. However, he never got the chance.

"Thank you." She whispered, planting a kiss on his cheek. He inhaled and could smell the rum and wine mixed in with her natural scent. But he smiled at her and nodded. 

Looking at his friends, they were all well on their way to being drunk, many of them leaning on each other or the piano for support. They were all waiting for him to start singing the song Henry had begun and he would just make them upset if he bagged out of it. Logan sighed and succumbed to his future: this was going to be a long night, but at least he was with a whole bunch of drunken people who just happened to be his family. 

*        *        *

Ok, I don't speak German whatsoever. I used an online translation thing, so I don't know if the grammar is right or completely messed up. Anyways, here's the "translation":

Kurt: "Because you are falling in love."

Logan: "No, I love her already"

Kurt: "I am very pleased to hear that…"

As usual, please R&R!!

~*PAF*~

Jubes  
  



	4. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

A/N: I'm sorry it took me a while to update this and I'm sorry this is so short! These past few days have been crazy – damn college classes interfering with my stories! Anyways, here's chapter 4…

Disclaimer: Same shit, different day…

*        *        *

Part 4: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear…

          Despite his best efforts to duck out of singing, everyone managed to convince him to sing about six or seven more carols before everyone started singing together. Logan's ears were just beginning to hurt from the noise level when the majority of his friends crawled upstairs to their beds. 

By midnight, Ororo had dragged Logan outside on the terrace in the foot deep snow. With a flick of her wrists, she had made a large clearing for them on the patio and she pulled at his hands. Despite the cold, she was still wearing her deep red Christmas dress. It ended above her knees and had a deep v-neck cut. She looked stunning, as always. Logan, on the other hand, was wearing his ever-present jeans, white t-shirt and red flannel shirt. He had on his cowboy boots but had decided against the Stetson. The dusty old hat remained in his room. 

"Dance with me!" Ororo said, the alcohol still having an effect as she giggled.

"There's no music, darlin'." He said, amused.

"Then we'll have to make some." She decided after a brief pause. He looked at her for a moment and she blushed. 

"I guess we can do that." He finally said, his low voice causing shivers to travel up her spine. 

Stepping forward, Logan pulled her close and began humming Silent Night quietly. Ororo could barely hear him, but it was just loud enough. Sighing in contentment, she leaned into his strong body and let him lead her around the patio in a slow, graceful dance. The faint scent of vanilla mingled with fresh snow as Logan carefully dipped her. He could also smell pine and the faint scent of two deer from the other side of the property. However, the Wolverine wasn't hunting deer tonight so he chose to ignore them. The vanilla caught his attention and he realized it was from her shampoo. She had changed it recently, he noted, but it wasn't too strong. He really hated strong artificial scents. They drove his senses crazy since he could detect most of their components. The vanilla was natural, much to his approval.

"I like yer new shampoo." He said softly as he continued to slowly dance with the goddess.

Ororo laughed. "Only you would notice that."

He took her comment as a compliment and continued to hum Silent Night. A mischievous smile crossed Ororo's features and her eyes turned white. Before Logan could ask, he found himself high above the mansion grounds, swirling on a gentle breeze with the Windrider.

It had been a long time since she had pulled him off of the ground without any notice and he let out a short gasp.

"Do not worry." She soothed. "I won't let you fall."

Logan looked at her and, among other thoughts, questioned if she was still drunk. They didn't speak for a long time after that. They simply held on to each other, slowly swirling together under the stars. 

*        *        *

One o'clock rolled around and only a few people were left in the den. Remy and Rogue were sitting together, talking in hushed tones, and Logan was carefully picking up a passed out Windrider. After coming inside, they had sat down for only mere moments and, before Logan could think of something to say, she was zonked out on his shoulder. If he didn't know any better, he'd say she was just about to start snoring before he picked her up. For whatever reason, he found the thought very amusing and he stifled a laugh.

          With a nod to his teammates, he hefted Ororo into his arms and she draped her arms around his neck, half-asleep. A second or two later, she passed out completely and Logan smiled as he began the long walk to her room. He had almost tripped on the top stair and her foot hit the banister, but she didn't wake up. After carefully avoiding the grandfather clock and random tables littering the hallway, he arrived at her door.

          Soon he was pulling the covers up to Ororo's stomach and that's when she stirred. Her eyes fluttered open and a large smile lit up her face when she saw him.

          "Logan…" She trailed off, reaching out to touch his face. 

          "Hey darlin'." He replied, removing her hand. "Get t'sleep now."

          "Stay with me." Ororo whispered.

          Logan looked at her and decided he heard her wrong. He started to get up when she spoke again.

          "Please, stay." 

          He felt his heart skip as he looked at her. She was lonely, he could see that in her eyes, and she wanted him to stay. But Logan couldn't shake the feeling that it would be wrong to stay with her. After all, she was drunk…at least that's what he told himself. 

          "Darlin', you should try'n get to sleep. You've had a long night." 

          Ororo's grip tightened on his hands and she looked like she was fighting back tears. Again, Logan felt his heart skip and he knew he couldn't say no to her like this. He freed his hand and pulled off his boots, for once scared of spending the night with a beautiful woman.

          "Ok, darlin', I'll stay." 

*        *        *

So, what'd you guys think??? Again, I'm sorry it's sooooo short – I'll try to make the next chapter longer!! Anyways, please R&R!!

~*PAF*~

Jubes  
  



	5. I Just Want You for My Own

A/N: Sorry it took so long for this chapter! I had a slight case of writer's block, but it didn't last too long (thankfully). Again, thanks so much to all of my readers for your reviews!  :)  I hope this segment meets your approval…

Disclaimer: yeah yeah yeah…

*        *        *

Part 5: I Just Want You for My Own…

          Warm rays of the late morning sun lit Ororo's face from the window that was above her bed. She blinked slowly and opened her eyes. 

          _Goddess, it must be ten in the morning!_ She thought to herself, in shock. It had been years since she had slept so late. In fact, it might've been as far back as Australia. 

          As her mind began waking up, she suddenly became aware of another source of warmth. She turned her head towards the direction of this heat and had to suck in a gasp. 

Logan was sleeping next to her.

Her mind fought back the morning fogginess and she tried to recall last night's events. Despite the amount of wine she drank, Ororo remembered dancing with Logan above the mansion and then she definitely remembered him putting her to bed last night. Had he offered to stay? No, no she had asked him. Ok, begged was the better word. What happened then? Why had he stayed? Had they made love? She wasn't sure. 

Ok, so maybe her memory wasn't that great.

_Goddess, I feel like such a fool._

Ororo quickly pulled the covers back and sat up, ashamed. Then she looked down at herself and noticed she was still wearing her Christmas dress. She looked over her shoulder to see Logan smiling up at her, wearing his t-shirt and jeans. 

_Why would I assume we had sex?_ Ororo wondered suddenly. She felt heat filling her cheeks and knew she was blushing, badly. If she had felt like a fool before, now she felt like a complete jackass for her assumption. 

"Mornin', darlin'." Logan greeted, still lying down. "How do you feel?"

"Alright." She replied somewhat shortly, turning away from him. He frowned and watched her as she stood up.

Ororo walked to her dresser and wordlessly stripped down. She had done so in front of all of her teammates over the years, so she didn't think anything of it. Logan, on the other hand, turned his head away and felt his cheeks suddenly rush with blood.

Ororo noticed that he had turned and shrugged it off. He usually never turned away since he was as unashamed of nakedness as she was, sometimes more so. She pulled on her pajamas and then walked back to her bed. His head turned back to her and he smiled again, trying to hide the color in his cheeks.

"How long have I been asleep?" She asked, sitting on the edge of the bed with a brush in her hand.

"I think ya passed out around one or so." He replied. Logan turned on his side to watch her.

"Goddess." She muttered. "Logan, I'm sorry…"

"Don't worry about anythin', darlin'." He cut her off quickly. "I didn't mind keepin' my eye on ya last night."

_So he had just been 'keeping an eye' on me_, she thought, somewhat bitterly. Why she was bitter about that? Ororo couldn't really think of a reason so she pushed the thought out of her mind. She turned slightly to hide her frown and tried to focus on brushing her hair. Carefully, the weather goddess began to work the brush through her mangled mop of hair. After a few minutes of fighting with the brush, she threw it on the bed in defeat. 

"Here, lemme try." Logan offered, quickly kneeling behind her. She felt his knees brush against her hips as he picked up the brush.

Instead of protesting, Ororo sat in silence as he gently worked the brush through the knots in her hair. He also rubbed her temples gently as his hands passed near them. Ororo closed her eyes, letting herself be absorbed in the pleasant sensations, quickly forgetting about the bitterness she had just felt towards this man. She felt his hands smooth over her hair and then he began to knead her neck. She felt him press certain areas on her back with a good amount of pressure and then headache that had been forming quickly dissipated. His thumbs pressed against the knots on her lower back and she felt her body arch backwards in pleasure. Without any words exchanged, she felt his fingers slide under her shirt. His warm, surprisingly soft fingers continued to work up her back, somehow releasing all of the tension that was in her back with simple pushes. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she thought that it possible wasn't possible to have such a relaxing massage while sitting up, but the thought was fleeting as she lost herself again in pleasure. 

There was a sudden knock at the door and she felt his hands drop instantly. She opened her eyes and turned towards the door, annoyed at the interruption. She noticed Logan was also turned towards the door in a tense position. Perhaps he was surprised he didn't hear them approaching the door, she mused.

"Come in." She called once she found her voice. 

The door creaked open and Jean popped her head around the corner. She was looking a little rough around the edges and she was holding two cups of coffee.

"Ororo, I brought you some coffee." She said as she entered the room. "Oh, hi Logan. I didn't know you woke up Ororo already."

He shrugged but didn't say anything to her. Instead, he flopped back on the bed and pulled his hands behind his head.

"He didn't." Ororo replied, standing up. Jean seemed surprised but she didn't have time to ask any questions as Ororo walked towards her. She took the cup of coffee and took a small sip of the hot liquid. "Goddess, Jean, this is stronger than Hank's blend."

"I thought you might need a little pick-me-up this morning." The redhead replied, smiling. Her eyes wandered around the room as she took a sip of coffee. That's when she noticed Logan's boots on the floor, next to his flannel shirt, and Ororo's dress in a heap on the other side of the room. Her eyes lit up in curiosity and both Logan and Ororo noticed it.

"Thank you, Jean." Ororo said after a pause. "I'll be down for brunch shortly."

Jean seemed surprised at being shooed out of the room but she didn't protest. She simply smiled and left the room with a quick nod.

"I'll let the others know." Jean said as she closed the door behind her.

"Good work." Logan said, amused.

"Well, you were no help." Ororo said, casting an amused glare his way.

"So what kind of rumors should we be prepared to walk in on?" Logan asked, cracking his neck.

"Goddess, must you do that?" Ororo cringed.

"Yep." 

Ororo rolled her eyes and, as he cracked the other side of his neck, she tackled him. Surprised, he rolled with her and they landed on the floor in a heap of sheets and pillows. She quickly pummeled him with one of her pillows and Logan grabbed her waist, tickling her sides. Ororo fought back peals of laughter as she continued to hit him with the pillow.

"Stopstopstop!" She nearly squealed. 

That only caused him to tickle her more and she finally threw down the pillow, holding onto her sides for dear life. They both burst into laughter and Ororo slowly detangled herself. 

"Come on, Logan." She said, wiping a tear from her eye. "It's time for some brunch."

"Aw, yer no fun." He complained. She rolled her eyes and began to stand up. She should've saw it coming, but she was too busy trying to crawl over the sheets. Logan knelt up and pulled her down by her waist. They knelt there, staring at each other, for nearly a minute in complete silence.

Then, in a moment of pure unbridled passion, Logan pulled her to him and kissed her like never before. Her arms fell to her sides, her mind in shock. She was suddenly unsure of where they were supposed to go. Ignoring that, she instinctively leaned in and kissed him back, enjoying the taste of him on her lips. She felt him lean in towards her and she could feel his body heat through her silk top.

_What am I doing?!?_ Ororo abruptly thought. Her eyes shot open and she was suddenly nervous and afraid. As if he knew her exact thoughts, Logan opened his eyes and they were locked in an intense gaze. 

She pulled back slowly and sat back on her legs, looking at Logan. He looked…well, scared, she realized. Then, as soon as she noticed it, the flash of emotion was gone. Logan ran his fingers through his hair in what she assumed was an attempt to fix it and stood up. He extended his hand to her and smiled tightly.

"C'mon, darlin', let's go get some grub before Hank and Jubes eat all the good stuff."

She nodded, pushing down the feelings that were suddenly floating up to the surface. The last time she felt butterflies in her stomach Forge had proposed to her. 

_And goddess knows how well that turned out_, she thought sourly.

"Let me grab my robe." Was her only reply. She didn't take his offered hand when she stood, which he of course noticed. With a pained flinch on his face, he dropped his arm. She didn't see his saddened expression as he stepped back to let her pass. Instead, she focused on pulling on her robe and slippers. Without looking at him, Ororo quickly led the way to the kitchen in silent thought.

*        *        *

So, what'd you guys think?? I'm sorry it wasn't longer, but the next scene is gonna take a little time to develop so I wanted to get this one out before I started work on it…Besides, I didn't want you to start thinking I had forgotten about you!! You guys are so good at inspiring me, so please review this chapter and keep my creative fire burning!!

~*PAF*~

Jubes


	6. It's a Little Bit Funny, This Feeling In...

A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I posted! Lab work got a little backed up and then I was away from my wonderful computer for the holiday weekend. D'oh! Anyways, here's part 6…I've made the first part a little darker to try to put Logan into character a little bit more. Hope y'all like it!

Disclaimer: Please don't sue this poor college student for playing with some of the best characters ever created in the Marvel universe…

*        *        *

Part 6: It's a Little Bit Funny, This Feeling Inside…

          Three days passed by and Ororo had been avoiding Logan like the plague. Of course, he had been the first to notice when she would leave a room as soon as he entered it. And, truth be told, it broke his heart. He tried to hide that, but it soon became evident to his teammates that something wasn't right. Normally, he was sarcastic to the point of being flat-out mean when something was bothering him. This time he was almost sulking and staying in his room most of the time.

          "Mein freund?" Kurt called as he knocked on Logan's door. "Logan?"

          When he didn't receive an answer, Kurt slowly turned the knob and peered in. The lights were off but the moonlight was streaming in his windows. Kurt closed the door behind him and blinked a few times to adjust to the change in light. He quickly noticed a trail of incense smoke that could be seen from the dresser. Still standing close to the door, Kurt began looking around the room. He quickly noticed most of the pictures were turned facedown, except for the one of Mariko that he rarely touched except to clean it. He almost thought Logan had left when he suddenly spoke. 

          "Hey Kurt." 

          Kurt jumped up to the ceiling at Logan's voice and quickly craned his neck to see his friend sitting in his reading chair, facing the window.

          "You scared me half to death, Logan!" Kurt complained as he gracefully fell from the ceiling. He easily balanced on the headboard of Logan's bed and tried to see his friend's face, but with no luck.

          "Sorry." Was the simple reply.

          "Logan, please, tell me vas happened?" The blue-furred demon pleaded. "You haven't been yourself for days now."

          Then the scent of strong whiskey floated to Kurt's nostrils and he noticed at least five large empty bottles at Logan's feet. The sound of liquid splashing in a bottle caught his attention and he watched Logan drink from the bottle for almost a minute. It came down and rested on his thigh, his hand protectively holding the bottleneck. 

          "I kissed her." He said flatly. Before Kurt could reply, Logan drank another large portion of the whiskey. "An' now she ain't talkin' t'me."

          "Have you tried talking to her?" Kurt carefully asked. He watched as Logan finished the bottle and pulled out yet another full bottle of the golden whiskey from a box next to his leg. 

          "She won't let me even come close t'her." He explained. A cap fell to the floor and the bottle reached his lips. That time Kurt could've sworn he drank more than half of the handle of whiskey.

          "Logan, how much of that cheap whiskey have you drank?"

          "Not enough."

          "I'm counting six bottles."

          "Seven." Logan replied, holding up his current bottle.

          "Ja. Seven."

          "A healin' factor can put a damper on gettin' drunk."

          "Then perhaps you shouldn't try?"

          Logan looked at Kurt for the first time since he had entered the room. Kurt felt his heart fill with anguish at the sight of his friend. Logan's eyes were extremely bloodshot and his face looked haggard. He looked as if he hadn't slept in the past few days. He frowned at his friend's remark and his brow furrowed in concentration. It looked as if he was trying to find the right words to say, the words that would make Kurt see how much it hurt to be sober, but he couldn't find anything to say. After a minute or so, he decided it would take too much time and he drank from the bottle again. 

          Kurt dropped his head, knowing that this was a losing battle after years of experience. When Mariko died, Kurt didn't know how to help his friend when he found him surrounded by Lord-knows how many bottles. In the end, he had just kept Logan company and had helped him to bed when he couldn't walk anymore. 

          "Get out." Logan said, turning from his friend. 

          "Logan?"

          "You deaf, pal?" He growled. "Get out."

          Kurt winced and flipped from the headboard.

          "I'll be in my room if you need me, mein freund." 

          "Whatever. Just get the fuck out. Now."

          In a burst of smoke and brimstone, Kurt Wagner was gone and Logan finished the bottle in his hand.

*        *        *

          "Ororo, you're acting like a child."

          "Please, not now, Kurt."

          "Nien. I've already been thrown out of Logan's room. I'm not leaving another." 

          Ororo Munroe pinched the bridge of her nose, praying that her sudden headache would disappear. They were in the loft and she was carefully pruning a few of her hanging plants.

          "Talk to him." 

          "I can't."

          "Yes, you can!" Kurt replied, flustered. "He's going to leave soon if you don't. We've both seen him like this!"

          Ororo hung her head and tried to focus on her headache instead of Kurt's words. 

          "Ororo, you must speak with him." Kurt said matter-of-factly. "You're a strong woman and very intelligent. Think about what you've done to him over these past three days and do the right thing. Talk to him, even if it's for no other reason than to maintain your dignity."

          With that, Ororo heard the familiar *bamf* and Kurt was gone. 

          _"He's right, y'know."_ Said a feminine voice in her mind.

_          "Yes, I know, Jean."_

_          "Do the right thing. Besides, you've got a concert to go to in two days. It'll be mighty awkward if you keep ignoring him."_

_          "Funny." _

Jean's presence faded from her mind quickly and Ororo was again left alone with her thoughts. She had tried to avoid Logan since…since that morning. But just seeing a glimpse of him brought back the memories of that kiss.

          That damned kiss.

          The kiss that was quite possibly the most passionate and enlivening kiss she had ever experienced. And it had only lasted for mere seconds. Goddess, how she had wanted it to last forever and a day! If he could kiss like that, then what else could that wild man do? Ororo chided herself for such thoughts, but her mind kept drifting back to them.

          Damned hormones.

          After debating with herself for another twenty minutes, Ororo finally pulled on her robe and walked down the attic stairs. It was close to midnight now but she was sure he would be up. After all, he was almost always awake until at least two.

          At his door, she didn't bother knocking. Instead, she opened the door briskly and walked into the darkened room. As she closed the door, her eyes quickly adjusted and she saw him passed out on his bed. She also saw many empty bottles strewn about him on the bed and floor. Guilt pained her heart and she quickly picked them up.

          Against her better judgment, Ororo touched Logan's shoulder gently.

          "Logan?"

          To be honest, Ororo never knew was hit her, he moved so fast. She was sprawled on the floor in the next instant and, within two seconds, a very angry Logan was pinning her to the rug. An inhuman growl escaped from his lips and his claws shot out of his arm, the metal glinting in the moonlight. Without thinking, Ororo summoned a gale force wind and he was suddenly on the other side of the room, confused.

          "'Ro?" He asked, blinking.

          "Yes, Logan, and I do not appreciate being tackled!" She replied.

          "Oh, Jesus, I'm sorry, darlin'." He replied, standing up. "Are ya ok?"

          "Yes, I'm fine, Logan." She sighed. "I wanted to come here to apologize for the foolish way I have been acting these past few days."

          "Apology accepted." He extended a hand to help her up. 

          As he pulled her to her feet, Ororo fought the urge to tackle him onto the bed. 

          "I did not mean to hurt you." She said softly.

          Logan nodded and turned towards the bathroom. As he tended to his business, Ororo lit a Japanese lamp and a soft glow filled the room. She continued to pick up the empty bottles until he walked out of the bathroom with a refreshed look to his face.

          "So why've you been runnin' from me?" Logan asked, holding out a trash bag for the weather goddess.

          Ororo Munroe looked at her old friend and felt as if a huge weight was holding her down. Deep down, she knew why she had avoided him. Ororo was at least honest with herself with such matters, even if she couldn't admit it to other people. Hell, it had taken her goddess-knows how long to tell Forge how much she loved him. And now, here she was, deeply in love with one of her best friends. She felt as if she could burst from the tension that was building within her whenever he was around. Dare she hope that he felt the same way? Would she let herself think such a thing?

          "Well?"

          His gravely voice cut through her concentration and she blinked, focusing her eyes on him once again.

          "Can we sit?"

          "Sure." Logan replied, sitting in his chair as she sat on the edge of his bed.

          "This is very hard for me to discuss, old friend." 

          Logan waited, thinking she was about to shoot him down, tell him she didn't love him in the way he obviously did her. 

          "I'm almost twenty-six years old now yet I feel as if I could have lived twice that." She began, slowly. "As an X-Man, I cannot count the number of times I've saved the world from catastrophe nor can I account all of the times I've been off of this planet. The lives I've saved or taken are beyond my recollection at this point."

          Logan nodded, confused about where she was headed with all of this.

          "However, as a woman, I can very clearly remember the number of men I have slept with. Likewise, I know the exact number of men I have ever dared to love." She paused, looking up into his eyes. "On the first account, it's only been one. Yet, on the second, it has been two. Forge is one of those men, as you know."

Ororo took a deep breath. 

"And you are the second."

*        *        *

  
Well? What'd you guys think? Was this a little more realistic for Logan's character?? Please R&R!! 

~*PAF*~  
Jubes


	7. Love Makes Us Act Like We Are Fools

A/N: Sorry it took soooooooooo long for this part! I was home for winter break and I just couldn't find a lot of time to write…Plus I had a bad case of writer's block, so it took a long time to write when I did find some free time. It also took me a while to figure out what I wanted to happen, so this is the 2nd or 3rd re-write for this chapter. Anyways, I hope you enjoy and please review!

Disclaimer: Do I look like Joe Quesada or Bill Jemas? Since I'm a 21-yr old woman, the answer is "no, I don't think so". Therefore, I sadly have no official ownership of these characters. I just like letting my muse play around with them, so don't sue!! All I have are some old pennies and maybe a few nickels anyways…

*        *        *

Part 7: Love Makes Us Act Like We Are Fools

The words seemed to hang in the air. Logan stared at Ororo, surprised at her feelings for him. Then again, he reminded himself, he had smelled desire from her on Christmas. Damn, did she look great right now. Her hair was down, as usual, and she was wearing sweat pants and a tight tank top. She was breathtaking. As Logan looked at her, he realized there was fear in her eyes. That was not something he was used to seeing in her and he realized that he had been staring at her for at least two minutes now.

          His arms quickly pulled her from the bed and she nearly fell into his lips. Her arms found their place this time, he noticed. Ororo quickly ran her fingers through his mangled hair, holding on slightly as if she was afraid he would pull away. Of course, she didn't need to be afraid of that and she wanted to smile as he gently ran his hands down her back. Instead, her lips refused to break away from his and she suddenly realized that she never wanted them to. 

Carefully, as if it was more instinct than calculated thought, Logan lifted her up while still kissing her. She felt the bed underneath her as he gently laid her head down as he explored her mouth. Logan slowly pulled away and she opened her eyes, afraid he had decided this was the wrong thing, that they should stay just friends.

"I love you, Ororo Munroe." He nearly purred. 

It felt as if her smile would break her face in two and all she could do was laugh. Not in mockery, of course, but in just pure utter joy. Joy unlike anything she had ever felt before and Logan smiled at her, knowing why she was so happy.

"I love you, Logan." She replied, still smiling. 

Logan leaned down again and kissed her more gently this time, taking the time to savor the sweet taste of her lips. He inhaled deeply as he closed his eyes, focusing on her scent. When he opened his eyes, he noticed her eyes were closed. He smiled inwardly, knowing she was doing the same thing. This woman was perfect and he couldn't believe he was lying on his bed, kissing her.

Suddenly, her eyes opened and their lips parted. Grabbing his headboard, Ororo pulled herself from under his firm body and sat up. Following her lead, Logan knelt back and looked at her, waiting for her to say or do something. He reached out and touched her face. She turned her cheek into his palm before speaking.

"We do not belong in this house tonight, Logan." She said softly. 

"Then where d'ya think we belong at midnight?"

Ororo mocked deep thought before looking at him with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. Logan fought back a groan. 

"I want a drink, to celebrate!" 

Logan's eyes went wide. A drink? Ororo Munroe? The only time he ever saw her drink was on Christmas and maybe New Year's Eve. This was very unlike her but he knew enough to agree with her when she was determined. 

"I was thinkin' we could celebrate in another way." Logan replied, a devilish smile on his face.

"Logan!" Ororo blushed deeply. Then she smiled sweetly. "We'll have plenty of time for that later tonight, not to worry. But Harry's is only open until two and I want to celebrate!"

Logan laughed and stood from the bed. 

"Then go get dressed and gather up some folk." He said, helping her from the mattress. "I'll meet you downstairs."

Ororo dove into his arms once again and kissed him with a passion she had long thought dead to her. He wrapped his arms around her and then she pulled away.

"Yer killin' me." Was his only remark as she sauntered from his room, her hips swaying seductively.

"Just wait until tonight when you'll be begging for mercy."

With that, the door shut behind her. Logan's expression of shock and curiosity was enough to send Ororo into peels of laughter. As she was told, she quickly gathered a crowd of her friends and was quickly changed into some appropriate "Harry's Hideaway clothes". She wore hip-hugging boot-cut jeans and a white shirt that hung on her shoulders. Hoop earrings, black boots and belt completed her outfit.

In the foyer, Kurt, Rogue and Betsy were all waiting for Ororo to arrive. They had all seemed shock at her insistence to going to Harry's, but they assumed it was for good reason and they had all quickly changed.

When she finally walked down the main stairs, they looked to her for some sort of comment. It became clear that she was remaining silent, however.

"Sugah, why have y'all gathered us down heah?" Rogue asked, her hand on her hip.

"For a celebration." She replied cryptically.

"Are we ready to go then?" Betsy asked, opening the door. "I, for one, would like to get the celebration under way so we can find out why we're going out for drinks at twelve thirty!"

"Not yet, Betsy. We're still waiting for one more person to join us."

Before Kurt could ask her whom they were waiting for, Logan came down the stairs. He was in his normal jeans and black t-shirt complete with his Stetson and cowboy boots. 

"Ready?" He asked the crowd.

"This is just like old times." Kurt commented, opening the door. 

"Y'all are right about that, Kurt." Rogue smiled. "Let's hope we can all stumble back in one piece!"

"I want to feel the wind in my hair, Logan." Ororo said as they closed the door, a devilish glint in her eyes. 

"I guess it ain't too cold to fire up the hog." He replied, dangling his keys in front of her.

"Then let's go!"

"Finally!" Rogue exclaimed, eager to leave.

*        *        *        

An hour and many drinks later, the small group of old friends sat in a corner of Harry's, waiting for the last call announcement to be made. They had been laughing and retelling old stories since they arrived. As the laughter died down, Kurt cleared his throat.

"Ok, Ororo, I think we've all waited long enough." Kurt began. He had a feeling he knew why they were out, but he didn't say anything. 

          "Time to spill the beans!" Rogue added.

          "Indeed. Now that we've all had enough drinks to get us pissed, what's the bloody occasion?" 

          "Well, Betts, maybe it's easier to show ya instead of tell ya." Logan replied. 

          Ororo laughed as he pulled her close. Logan winked and then dipped her down, kissing her gently. Her head nearly touched the floor before he lifted her up again.

          "Woohoo!"

          "Wunderbar!"

          "About bloody time!"

"I propose a toast!" Rogue said. "To finally gettin' yoah heads out of yoah asses!"

"Hear hear!" Betsy joined in.

"Congratulations!" Kurt said as the beer and wine glasses clinked.

Logan and Ororo both laughed, staying in each other's arms. Henry glanced over from the bar and decided that maybe the place could stay open just a little longer tonight. He flicked a small switch under the bar and music suddenly boomed from the speakers. Rogue gave the barkeep a thumb's up and Kurt ordered some more drinks.

George Thorogood's "Bad to the Bone" began playing and Logan's lip curled up in the corner. As Ororo led them towards the table, Logan put his hand on her lower back and pulled her close to him. Before she could ask, Logan pulled her backwards towards the open floor. He began to dance with her and their dance would've made Remy blush. 

Rogue looked at them and leaned towards Kurt and Betsy.

"It's like a scene from 'Dirty Dancing'!" She whispered. 

"Ja." Kurt replied, downing his beer in one try. As a religious man, their dance made him uncomfortable.

"Come along." Betsy said, pulled on his arm. "It's time to show them how to really dance."

"Was…?" Kurt replied. It was too late, he realized. He was on the dance floor in seconds with Betsy Braddock grinding into his groin like a long-lost lover. Rogue watched from the sidelines with a beer in her palm.

Logan saw Betsy and Kurt and he saw the glint in Betsy's eyes.

"Darlin', we've just been challenged." He said into Ororo's ear.

"Oh?"

Ororo glanced at Betsy and wanted to laugh at Kurt's horrified yet pleased expression at the British telepath pressed her hips into his. With a smile, Ororo lifted one leg onto Logan's hip and his hand rested securely on her back as she dipped back. They danced for the longest two minutes Ororo could remember.

"Sorry t'do this, folks, but I gotta close the shop up." Harry called over a few minutes later. "The wife called."

"No problem, Henry." Rogue answered, downing the last of her beer.

Kurt and Betsy also finished their drinks and began pulling on their jackets.

"How're we gonna get home?" Rogue asked, wiping the froth from her lip. "Ah cain't drive!"

"Ach, I guess we'll just make a hop, skip and a jump, ja?" Kurt replied with a wink.

"You guys go on ahead." Logan said as they exited the bar. "I'm not leaving my hog here, but I don't think Scott'll mind his Audi hanging out overnight."

Kurt laughed and Betsy rolled her eyes.

"He'll murder us!" She exclaimed.

"Better'n us wrappin' it around a tree!" Rogue countered, grinning. Then she paused before shaking her head, the obvious answer suddenly clear. "Now, preacher, you just get yoahself and Betts home. Ah'll take care o'the car."

"Ja, sounds like a plan." Kurt smiled, taking Betsy's hand. "We'll see you at home, then!"

With a nod from Ororo, Kurt and Betsy disappeared in a puff of purple smoke and the scent of fire and brimstone hung in the air. With a flick of her wrist, Ororo pushed the foul stench away with a quick gust of air.

"Ah'll see y'all back at the school." Rogue said as she gingerly lifted the car above her head. With a slight push from the ground, Rogue was high in the air, with an Audi A8 securely in her hands.

"If the Prof saw us doin' this, he'd kill us." Logan commented as he turned on his Harley.

"Yes, but at 2:30 in the morning, I doubt they'll raise many eyebrows behind Harry's." She replied. Her legs brushed against his as she sat behind him and her arms were soon clasped around his firm waist. 

"Ready fer some _real_ fun?" Logan asked over his shoulder.

"Always!" Ororo replied, squeezing him gently. 

With a laugh, Logan kick started the bike and gunned it through the center of town, Ororo's hair billowing behind them like a soft cloud.

  
  
  
*        *        *        

So, what did you guys think? Lemme know and hopefully I'll have the next chapter started (and, god willing, finished) by the end of this week…but no promises! (damn college classes, always getting in the way…)

~*PAF*~

Jubes


	8. Devil with the Blue Dress On

A/N: Ok, I suck big time at updating when I'm at school. I'm so sorry folks! I finally got off my ass and wrote a little. I'm sorry this is such a short chapter, but I promise that I'm working on the next one. I should have it out within the next week. But I just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter! You guys managed to get me to do some work on this! ^-^

Disclaimer: I haven't owned these characters over the last seven chapters…I somehow doubt that's changed.

*           *           *

Part 8: Devil with the Blue Dress On

            The next two days went by in a blur of lovemaking and laughter. Ororo and Logan had been keeping mainly to themselves in Ororo's attic loft. They were lying together in her bed and it was nearly midday. Her soft white hair spilled over his chest as she propped her head up on her right hand.

            "Logan, we should get some breakfast." Ororo announced, her free fingers sliding over his stomach.

            "Mmmm-hmmm." Logan replied, his eyes closed. 

            They didn't move for another fifteen minutes and Ororo continued to trace circles on his stomach.

            "Does it frighten you?" She finally asked, looking to his peaceful face.

            "What's that, darlin'?" He asked. His eyes were still closed but she knew he was listening.

            "I mean, in two days, our lives have turned upside-down." She replied. "Doesn't that unnerve you, just a little?"

            "Nope." Logan said, one eye slightly open. 

            Ororo looked at him and he opened his other eye to meet her gaze. 

            "You amaze me." She said simply. 

            "Why? Yer not scared, so why should I be, darlin'?" He asked, closing his eyes again with a content smile on his face.

            "I suppose there is no reason." She chuckled. 

            "Damn straight." 

            Ororo's fingers slowly moved to his sides and she lightly dragged her nails along his sides. Logan jumped up with a gasp and gave Ororo an evil look. She smiled mischievously and raised an eyebrow.

            "Did I just find the one ticklish spot on your entire body?" She asked, mocking shock.

            "Now don't you start." Logan warned, his hands holding her wrists weakly in defense.

            "Start?" She asked, her mouth agape. "Now what is it that I, the resident weather goddess, would start with you, the resident mountain man?"

            Logan growled softly and almost seductively as he tackled his lover before she could make her move.

*           *           *

            Two hours later and they had finally made their way downstairs to the kitchen. Jean winked at them while Scott seemed to wear a permanent scowl whenever they were in the same room as him.

            "So, are you guys excited about tonight?" Jean asked as she sipped on her tea.

            "Tonight?" Ororo asked. She pulled out some lettuce and a few assorted vegetables.

            "Yeah, the concert's tonight, isn't it?" 

            Logan and Ororo looked at each other dumbfounded. Then Logan burst into laughter and Ororo joined him.

            "Thanks fer the reminder, Jeannie." Logan said. 

            "Indeed." Ororo added. "We had complete lost track of the time."

            "I figured." Jean smiled. "You know it's almost three." She added.

            "Goddess." Ororo gasped. "I need to get ready!"

            "Darlin', the show starts at nine." Logan said. 

            "I know, but if we're going to make those seven o'clock dinner reservations we made yesterday, then we'll have to leave a little after five." She said, throwing the salad stuff back into the fridge hastily. "I'll be upstairs if anyone needs me!"

            Jean, knowing full well Ororo would need help with her make-up and shoe decisions, quickly tossed her cup aside. After a quick peck on Scott's cheek, she was running after her best friend, laughing.

            Both women were out of the kitchen before Logan had the chance to laugh. Scott, still scowling, stood up from the table. 

            "What's the problem today, Cyke?" Logan casually asked as he pulled out a beer from the back of the refrigerator.

            "What do you mean exactly?" Scott asked.

            "Well, ya seem t'have a new problem everyday." Logan smirked. "So what's the problem for today?"

            "Just be careful with her." Scott said as he walked towards the door. Logan wanted to roll his eyes and spit at him but he managed to control himself.

            "Why don't you worry about yer own love life and I'll worry about mine, One-Eye." Logan growled as he drank his beer.

            Scott wanted to reply but he decided it would be better if he left it alone for the time being. He pushed open the door and walked into the hallway.

            "I hope you have a tux." He muttered, knowing that Logan could hear him perfectly.

            Logan chuckled and slowly made his way upstairs to shower and get dressed.

*           *           *

            An hour and a half later, Ororo stood in front of her full-length mirror and Jean was standing behind her. She looked absolutely stunning, to say the least. She wore a full-length dark blue gown that clung to every curve of her body. The v-neck showed just enough cleavage to her liking and it was sleeveless. She had a shawl to wear over her arms, but she knew that the cold weather wouldn't bother her. It was more for show. The dress had a slit up the side, revealing most of her right leg, and it glittered under the lights. Her hair was piled up elegantly upon her head with a few thick curls falling around her face. She only had on a little bit of makeup, but the eye shadow, mascara and lipstick were really all she needed. 

            Jean was fastening Ororo's new necklace around her neck while she telekinetically hung the earrings in the goddess' lobes. The blue sapphires matched the deep color of the dress perfectly and Ororo smiled as Jean finished her task. 

            "You look wonderful, Ororo!" Jean exclaimed happily. 

            "I feel…foolish." Ororo said.

            "Don't be silly!" Jean said, stepping to her side. "You are drop-dead gorgeous in this dress. The color suits you."

            "Thank you." Ororo said, blushing.

            "Now for your shoes." Jean turned to the box on Ororo's bed and, with a snap of her fingers, the shoes floated over to the two women. They were simple high-heeled shoes that had been dyed to match the dress. It was the final touch to Ororo's outfit and she slowly stepped into the shoes. 

            "Logan will hate that I'm so tall." Ororo commented with a hint of amusement in her voice.

            "I'm sure he's used to being the short one, Ororo." Jean grinned. 

            "Indeed." Ororo agreed, laughing. 

            "Why don't I go check and see if he's ready?" Jean offered. 

            "That would be wonderful." Ororo smiled. "I'm going to add a finishing touch."

            Jean raised an eyebrow and Ororo pointed to her new perfume

            "Ah, good idea to wait until I'm gone." Jean nodded. "He'd flip if I smelled like you."

            Ororo nodded in agreement as Jean walked to the door.

            "I'll give you a telepathic shout when he's ready." Jean said as she walked out.

*           *           *

            Logan stood in his room, fighting with his bow tie. He normally hated tuxes, but he would wear anything for Ororo. He was wearing black pants but had a white jacket instead of black. He was fumbling with the black tie and had a white scarf to go with the jacket. There was a fedora sitting on his dresser and he couldn't decide if he wanted to wear it or not. Just as he was about to rip the tie to shreds, a familiar scent reached his nostrils. Jean was about ten feet down the hall, coming to check on him, no doubt. Maybe she knew how to fix this stupid thing. He could never remember how to tie them.

            A few seconds later, Logan glanced at his door.

            "C'mon in, Red." He called just as she lifted her hand to knock.

            She opened the door and smiled. "Can't a girl ever knock?"

            "Nope." He replied with a grin.

            Jean looked him over and whistled. "Wow." She said in a low voice. "You clean up well, Logan."

            "Thanks." He said, turning to face her. 

            "Need some help?" She asked, amused. She pointed to the untied tie. It was hanging from his neck and she almost laughed as the look of frustration on his face.

            "If ya don't mind." He said dryly. Shaking her head in amusement, Jean reached out telekinetically and began to tie the object of his frustration with ease. 

            "How's that?" 

"Perfect." He smiled. "Thanks."

"Not a problem. Ok, if you don't need me for anything else, I'm going back to the loft." Jean said.

"I'll be done in two minutes." He said as he tied up his shoes.

"Ok, Ororo will meet you downstairs in ten minutes." Jean said as walked out.

*           *           *

Bwahaha…I'm so evil, leaving it like that, aren't I? So, what did you guys think? Please R&R!

~*PAF*~

Jubes


	9. Steppin' Out With My Baby

A/N: Sorry I've been neglecting this story for so long! I've just recently got the writing bug again (as you can no doubt tell from all the updates I've been doing on my other stories) and finally opened up this story again. I had some problems with this chapter, but I finally managed to get it finished to my liking. I hope you guys enjoy it!!

* * *

Part 9: Steppin' Out with My Baby

Logan stood at the bottom of the stairs in the main foyer like a teenaged boy waiting for his prom date. Well, at least that's what he assumed he felt like. He never remembered going to any proms, but this was close enough.

Instead of a dozen roses, Logan had placed two rose plants out in her greenhouse where she always kept it warm. Since he planned on taking the Audi TT out tonight, he figured they had an extra fifteen to twenty minutes before they had to leave. He had also decided to wear the white fedora and, looking in the mirror, an old memory seemed to pull at the back of his mind. It involved a blonde haired woman but he couldn't see her face.

However, before he could concentrate on it, he heard the clicking of heels on the stairs. He turned to face the most beautiful woman he had ever known walk gracefully down the stairs.

"You are beautiful." He breathed out. The shocked expression and the slight curl at the edge of his lips was the best compliment Ororo could have ever wanted. She smiled ravishingly at him as she joined him on the floor.

"You look exceptionally handsome." She complimented, taking his offered arm. When they began walking towards the hallway and not the door, Ororo looked down at her lover. "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise." Logan replied, smiling.

Ororo sighed in contentment as he led her to the back patio. Luckily, they had recently placed a stone walkway to Ororo's garden so her heels didn't sink into the ground as they walked over. Logan could see his breath as they walked but Ororo didn't seem to notice the cold.

"Logan, this is my greenhouse." She said, confused. "I do not…understand…" Her voice trailed off as her eyes fell on two of the most beautiful rose plants she had seen. One had peach colored buds on it while the other had a mixture of deep pink and pale purple. "Logan, how on earth did you find rose plants in bloom in January?!" She exclaimed.

"I'm a man of many secrets, darlin'." He said smiling. She walked towards the plants and delicately touched the almost-opened flowers.

"They're wonderful." Ororo said, turning to face him.

"I'm glad y'like 'em." He said. "Now, m'lady, shall we go to dinner?" He held out his arm.

"Of course." She said with a slight curtsey. As she slid her arm in his, she glanced back at the roses and then walked with him to the garage.

They arrived at the restaurant in record time and Ororo couldn't help but laugh. If anyone else had driven that way, she would've been terrified. But she trusted Logan and he knew it. Logan quickly hopped out of the car and then winked at her as he opened the passenger door for her.

"Why thank you." Ororo said, smiling broadly. Goddess, she thought, I can't stop smiling! I'm acting like a teenager!

She looked at the building they had stopped at and faltered slightly. It was an old brick building, not an elegant restaurant like she had hoped. Logan saw the doubt flicker across her face.

"Trust me." Was all he said as he led her to the side of the building. The alley was brightly lit and colored lights framed a doorway. He opened the simple door and ushered her inside.

Ororo gasped as she looked around. Inside of the old, seemingly run-down building, a small, stylish restaurant bustled. The ceilings were somewhat high and the dining room seemed to be very spacious, even though she could tell it was small. She counted twenty tables and was impressed Logan was able to get a table for New Year's Eve. The scents of various spices filled the air and Ororo found herself salivating slightly. A beautiful chandelier hovered above what looked like a dance floor and flickered. Upon closer inspection, Ororo noticed the chandelier was a classic chandelier filled with candles instead of bulbs. In fact, she now noticed that every light source in the dining room was a candle. As she scanned over the room, she smiled at the various simple floral arrangements that were on each table. She also smiled as she noticed the stage in front of the dance floor that had what looked like a jazz band warming up on it.

Logan watched Ororo take in the restaurant and smiled. He knew she would like this place.

"Ah, good evening, Mr. Logan!" A portly man greeted. He was dressed in a classic tux and had a small moustache.

"Evenin', Charlie." Logan greeted, shaking the other man's hand.

"And who is this radiant young woman?"

"Charlie, this is Ororo Munroe. Ororo, meet Charlie, an old friend of mine." Logan introduced. Charlie bent down slightly and kissed the back of her hand. Ororo blushed and glanced at Logan, who was smiling.

"It's an honor and a privilege, Ms. Munroe." Charlie said. "Although why you're with this man is beyond me."

Logan rolled his eyes and Ororo laughed softly.

"Now, if you'll just follow me…" Charlie trailed off, leading them towards a table near the dance floor with a perfect view of the band. "The band will begin playing momentarily." He told them as he pulled out a chair for Ororo. She sat down and Logan followed suit. "Here are your menus. Your server should be here shortly."

"Thanks, Charlie." Logan replied and the other man bowed slightly and then hurriedly walked back towards the door.

Logan and Ororo sat in silence for a few minutes while Ororo continued to look around the room. Logan smiled slightly and picked up his menu. His eyes scanned the pages but he wasn't really reading. He still couldn't believe he was on a date with Ororo Munroe. It just seemed too surreal, like a wisp of a dream. Of all the women he had been with, Ororo was certainly the most interesting. After all, how many men get to date an African goddess?

"Good evening." A young woman said as she stood next to the table. "My name is Stacey and I'll be your waitress this evening. Our specials are listed on the inside flap of the menu. May I start you off with some drinks?"

"Yes, that would be wonderful. I'll have an apple martini." Ororo said, glancing at Logan briefly. The surprise in his eyes amused her but he didn't make a comment.

"I'll have Jack Daniels on the rocks."

"They'll be right up." Stacey said with a smile. She quickly disappeared towards the bar and Logan chuckled.

"Drinkin' again, eh?"

Ororo blushed but just smiled at him. "I haven't felt this alive in ages, Logan." She admitted. "I thought I might live a little, as you say, tonight."

* * *

Dinner continued famously, to Logan's pleasant surprise. He figured his normal bad luck would curse the evening and Sabretooth would show up during dessert. Of course, he needn't have worried. After an exquisite New York style cheesecake, something Ororo insisted upon, they had left for the concert hall. The seats were two of the best in the house and Logan beamed as Ororo's smile lit up her face when the band began to play. Ororo's eyes were glowing with her happiness as they listened to the concert that evening. She tried to glance at Logan from time to time, attempting to determine if he was enjoying himself. Ororo wasn't sure if he was having a fun time, but Logan also didn't seem to hate the music. His face was somewhat neutral, except when he caught her eye and winked.

Logan could tell Ororo was watching him out of the corner of her eye during the show. It amused him to know she was concerned. As if he could help but enjoy himself that night, he mused. Here he was, a bar-room brawler at best and killer at worst, sitting in a concert hall with the most elegant woman he knew. He looked at her and studied her facial expression for a long moment. Ororo's attention was completely focused on the music, her face an expression of pure rapture. If only he had known it was this easy to please this woman, he would have done it years ago. Smiling briefly to himself, Logan turned his attention back to the final musical performance of the evening.

The conductor finished with a flourish and, along with the orchestra, bowed to a standing ovation. Logan fought the urge to whistle and smiled at his date. Ororo blushed slightly at the attention and followed Logan out of the hall. The noise within the entrance hall was borderline painful to Logan's sensitive ears and motioned towards the exit. Nodding in understanding, Ororo followed Logan quickly through the crowd, into the New York air.

"That was wonderful!" Ororo exclaimed as he twirled her outside. She laughed and fell into his arms.

"I'm glad you liked it, darlin'." He replied, kissing her briefly on the lips.

"Did you enjoy it?" She asked, slipping her slender fingers in-between his calloused ones.

"Yeah." Logan said, pulling her towards the car. "I remember hearing that stuff when it was written."

Ororo looked at him surprised but didn't say anything as he opened the car door for her. She allowed him to usher her into the car, caught up in realizing how old Logan could possibly be. While she knew he was old, it just never occurred to her that he remembered anything about his life before Weapon X.

They sat in silence for a long while as they drove down back streets of New York towards the highway. Logan could tell Ororo was deep in thought, but he also knew she would eventually bring whatever it was she was thinking about up in conversation. She wasn't one to be timid when it came to a difficult conversation, that was for sure. Sometimes it just took her a little while to bring up the topic, he thought with some amusement.

"I wasn't aware you remembered that far back." She finally said, watching him carefully as she spoke.

"I get glimpses." He replied fairly casually.

Ororo nodded, not knowing where to lead the conversation. Despite the years of friendship they shared, Ororo had trouble telling when he was hiding his emotions. He was so good at hiding them and it bothered her to think he was doing that with her right now. Of course, she knew some topics were taboo and she had never brought up his past before. However, the way he replied, she couldn't tell if he wanted to end the conversation or not.

"It's nothin' t'concern yerself with." Logan said, breaking her line of thought. His tone was unreadable, but his brow was creased.

"What?" She asked, slightly surprised at his reaction. He was no longer casual in his appearance and Ororo frowned.

"My memories." He said flatly. "They don't concern you."

"I'm sorry if I offended you." She said softly.

Logan looked at her out of the corner of his eye and nodded once.

They continued to drive in silence and Ororo couldn't help but feel it was somewhat tense between them. She kept her eyes locked to the window, but she didn't really see anything as they drove.

Logan kept trying to think of something to say, to break the tense silence that filled the car, but he was drawing a blank. He was surprised that she brought up his memory issue, but he made sure not to show it. Logan didn't like to talk about his past with anyone on the team. Charles was usually the only one who breached the subject, and even then he hadn't mentioned it in years. He used to have telepathic sessions with the Professor, but when they didn't lead anywhere after a year, he stopped them. Xavier had told him it probably wouldn't work, given his complex psyche, but Logan had insisted on at least trying.

He still got glimpses from time to time, but he could never truly believe them. Implanted memories still floated through his brain and he couldn't always decipher the real from the fake. Logan had decided, long ago, to stop trying. It was too painful. And besides, now he had eight years of memories as an X-Man and he knew those were real. That was good enough for him.

* * *

They didn't speak for the rest of the ride and Ororo was angry with herself for bringing up the subject. The night had been wonderful and she felt as if she ruined everything. When they reached the mansion, Logan went to open her door but she opened it for herself. Logan stepped back from her, waiting for Ororo to walk up the front stairs. When she called up a strong wind and flew towards the loft in silence, Logan felt as if someone was crushing his chest.

"Ororo!" He called after her. She didn't respond as she landed close to the sun light that led to her room. Ororo glanced at him with tears in her eyes and then entered the building without saying a word.

Cursing to himself, Logan walked through the front doors, slamming them behind him.

He managed to screw up the only good thing that had happened to him in years. Ororo was hurt and he was sure she wouldn't talk to him tonight. If only he could be a little more trusting, he told himself. It was Ororo, after all. It's not like she was trying to pry.

Logan found himself in the kitchen as he pulled off his coat and tie. He tossed his fedora on the table, disgusted with himself. The kitchen was thankfully empty as he pulled open the large refrigerator. Kurt had left a few beers and he pulled them out.

Running his hand through his hair, Logan took the two brews and went outside. He leaned his fists on the wall that surrounded the patio and tried to figure out how to fix this. His head was down and most people would have considered him off-guard. Those that knew him best would know Logan was still automatically analyzing the scents and sounds around him.

That's why he was surprised to hear someone walking softly through the snow, attempting to sneak by without being noticed. Breathing in, Logan smiled to himself as he recognized the cigarette scent that filtered into his nose.

"Early night, Gumbo?" He asked without moving.

"Dammit." Gambit muttered, stepping into the light. "Remy thought he was downwind."

"You were." Logan replied, turning to face his teammate. "But you still made enough noise in the snow."

Remy flashed a smile and shrugged.

"What happened t'the concert, mon ami?" Remy asked, walking towards Logan. He pulled out a cigarette and offered one to Logan, who gratefully took one. Remy held out a finger and lit the end of each with a simple spark of his power.

"Concert went fine." He replied, breathing in the nicotine. "I thought you were goin' out with Rogue?"

"We had a bit of a spat." Remy said. "So she kicked Remy out."

Logan nodded, knowing how turbulent their relationship was lately. He was certain they would break up within a week. Of course, they'd be back together about three days later. If anything, they were predictable.

"Where's Stormy?" Remy finally asked, stealing one of Logan's beers. Logan opened his beer and took a long drink.

"Upstairs." He said vaguely.

"Logan be in de dog house, neh?"

"Somethin' like that."

Remy chuckled and shook his head as he drank.

"We be two sad hommes, non?"

Logan nodded and finished his beer. The cigarette burned down slowly and the two teammates stood in silence as they finished them.

"Well, homme, Remy gonna get some shuteye."

Logan nodded in response and he was alone again as he heard the door close behind him.

Annoyed with himself, Logan slowly made his way inside and collecting his things from the kitchen. He walked up to the men's dorm and passed by Warren's room, where he heard the disturbing noises of Betsy and Warren in the throes of passion. While the rooms in the house were fairly soundproofed, he was still able to hear everything within the rooms on the floor.

Sometimes, he hated his powers.

He stepped into his room and closed the door with his foot. He began pulling off his clothes, tossing them in a heap on the ground. The noise from Warren's room was still clearly audible to Logan and he cringed. He hated hearing such private things, feeling like he was eavesdropping almost.

If only he could slip upstairs and join Ororo. The sounds of the mansion were more muffled upstairs. The first night he stayed with her, just three nights ago, amazed him. While he enjoyed his stay for other reasons, Logan was so pleased that he didn't have to filter out the sounds from his surrounding teammates. Logan realized he could sleep soundly up there. He didn't hear the video games Bobby played until three. He didn't hear Warren and Betts enjoying themselves almost every night. He didn't hear Kurt praying softly in German. He didn't hear Gambit talking with Rogue about power inhibitors.

Sighing deeply, Logan threw himself on his bed and tossed his pillow over his head in an attempt to shut out the noise.

* * *

Well, what did you guys think?? Please review!  
  
PAF  
Jubes


	10. Hey, Jealousy

A/N: I got inspired today, so here's another update! I'm shocked, so I'm sure you guys are, too. Hehehe. Anyways, I decided to throw in some problems here…hope you guys enjoy!

A/N 2: I want to thank liadenlover for the idea behind this chapter… She suggested having Ororo avoid Logan and I took it from there...I hope I wrote it well!

* * *

PART 10: Hey, Jealousy

Logan tried to talk to Storm the next day, only to find it impossible to find the weather goddess. Much like himself, when she didn't want to be bothered it was usually hard to find her. The few times he thought he was close, she would be gone by the time he entered the room.

This silent treatment continued for the next three days. Logan was ready to scream in frustration, but he controlled himself. Instead, he reverted to his normal attitude, trying to act like it wasn't bothering him. Jubilee had noticed the behavior, but only mentioned her concerns to Kurt. The fuzzy elf had just told her to leave him be, saying he needed to figure things out by himself.

Jean was in the Rec Room, flipping through the stations, when Logan walked in. He inhaled as he walked towards the couch and sat down on the opposite end from her.

"Hi, Logan." She said, smiling at him.

"New perfume?"

"Yes." Jean replied, flipping through some more channels.

"Not bad." He said. The redhead smiled, knowing that was as close to a compliment she would receive. He hated perfumes normally so she decided his response was a fairly good one.

Jean finally settled on a movie station that was showing a James Bond movie. Surprised, Logan looked at her.

"I didn't peg you fer a Bond fan, Red."

"Oh, I'm not." She replied, winking. "It's Sean Connery."

Logan grunted in response, but she could tell he was amused.

"Watch out or I'll tell Scotty he has some competition." He teased, flashing her a devilish smile.

"I thought you told him that on a regular basis anyways." She replied, amused.

"Part of the job." He replied, looking back to the television.

"And what job might that be?"

"Team asshole, obviously."

Jean laughed aloud and swatted at his leg with a pillow.

"You're not an asshole, Logan." She said after deflecting the pillow he threw back at her.

"Watch out, Jeannie, ya might give me a big head." And he winked at her, running his tongue over his canines. It was a habit he had picked up a long time ago and he knew it made Jean's heart rate increase slightly.

"I think it's big enough already." She said, rolling her eyes.

"Not from what I can tell, but maybe you could give me a hand." Logan commented, looking down at the fly on his pants. Jean's eyes widened and then she laughed as she leaned over to smack his arm.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Logan!" She scolded.

They continued to flirt and tease each other for another hour or so. It was a comfortable routine they had developed over the years. They never continued in front of the other team members, especially Scott. They had been caught before and it had caused some serious problems. But Logan knew Scott was in the boat house so he didn't think they were in any danger.

Unfortunately, Ororo had stopped just outside of the Rec Room and had heard part of their conversation by accident. A tear trickled down her face but she swatted at the offending tear. Angry, she walked away briskly, careful to keep herself downwind from Logan.

* * *

Finally, the ending credits rolled up the screen. Before Jean could stand up to leave, Logan turned to her with a solemn expression on his face. Her smile faltered and she pushed her hair behind her ear.

"Do you know where Ororo's been hidin?" He asked bluntly.

"She's been in the greenhouses." Jean replied, leaning back into the cushions. "She's been using her powers to hide from you, Logan."

Logan sighed deeply and rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's killin' me." He grunted. "I dunno what came over me."

"I heard she asked about your memories." Jean said softly.

"Talked to her, didja?"

"Briefly." Jean admitted. "She was angry with herself for prying."

"Then why is she avoidin' me like the plague?" He growled, standing up and pacing the room.

Jean stood up and placed a hand on his arm gently.

"I think she needed time to think. She was hurt by your reaction, but I'm sure you know that." She said honestly. "But she didn't say much to me, so I don't really know why she's avoiding you."

"Think? What's there t'think about?" He snapped, feeling the frustration building again.

"Well, for starters, how she feels about dating a man with such a troubled past." Jean said, leaning against the entertainment center.

Logan looked at Jean but found he didn't have any response.

"And maybe how she feels about how you are around other people."

Logan raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed t'mean?"

"It's just what women do when they're deciding how serious they want to pursue a man." Jean explained. "At least, it's what I did."

"Right." He replied, still confused.

"She's probably just confused, Logan." She said as she wrapped her arms around her waist. "It's hard for Ororo to open up to her feelings. Her powers restrict her in many ways, which is why she never dates anyone. If she gets too upset, she could easily lose control over her powers." She paused, running her hand through her long locks. "Also, Forge was the only man she's ever been with, Logan. Think about that. She's probably intimidated by your experience, too."

Again, he couldn't find words to respond so he remained quiet. He was thinking over Jean's words.

"I'm sure she's trying to decide how to handle everything that's happened over the past week." Jean said after pausing. "You have to admit, Logan, that the events of late have turned her life and yours upside-down."

He nodded in response, wishing he had a cigar to chew on. Jean smiled at him and then squeezed his arm encouragingly.

"She's upstairs, if you want to find her." Jean said as she walked out of the room.

* * *

Logan didn't bother knocking on Ororo's loft door, knowing she would leave if he gave her any advance warning. Instead, he slowly opened the door and crept up the stairs to the loft. His heart swelled as he inhaled her fresh scent.

Ororo was on her bed, a book open and forgotten next to her. Her legs were pulled up and she had her arms wrapped around them. Her eyes were closed in anguish as she silently cried.

Logan frowned at the sight and quickly made his way towards his lover.

"Darlin'?" He asked gently.

Ororo's head snapped up and she scowled at him. It was not the reaction he was expecting nor hoping for.

"Get out, Logan." She spat.

"No." He replied, crossing his arms. "I need t'talk to you."

"You've been flirting with Jean."

It wasn't a question. It was a simple statement. And it was very true. There was no doubt in her voice, only pain. Her movements spoke to him like a neon sign. She was hurt and very angry. And it hit Logan like a Mac truck. He almost couldn't speak. Almost.

"We've always flirted a little, 'Ro." He replied, shocked by her statement. "Ya know that. It's nothin'."

"Do I?" She replied angrily. "How do I know you didn't simply just use me for sex?"

Logan's mouth formed a thin line before he growled softly.

"Used you fer sex? Are you fuckin' serious?"

"Yes, I am!" She yelled. Thunder clapped outside and lightening flashed soon after.

"How could you think that?" He growled.

"How could I think that?" She repeated heatedly. "You do it all the time! I'm sure all of those whores you sleep with down at the Auger Inn aren't there for conversations!"

"Who says I do that?" Logan said, fury in his eyes.

"It's common knowledge!" Ororo yelled back, standing up.

"Maybe that was true years ago, but I haven't done that since Mariko died!" He yelled in return. His hands clenched in fists at having mentioned his dead fiancée's name.

"Then how do you explain what happened with Jean just now!" She demanded.

Logan shook his head slightly, incredibly angry at the woman standing in front of him.

"You know I love you, Ororo. It's just harmless flirting." He said in a dangerously low voice.

"It's not harmless!" Ororo insisted loudly. "It hurts me, Logan!"

"It is harmless!" He snapped. "Nothing has ever come of it and nothin' ever will!"

"You can't help but _fawn_ over her, Logan. Everyone sees it!" She said nastily.

They stood there, staring at each other for a long moment. Each one was breathing heavily, trying to regain control of their emotions.

"It ain't nothing worse than how you and the Cajun act, 'Ro." Logan finally said, his voice angry and guttural. "But I know that's just how you and him are. He's always flirted with you like some hormone enhanced casa nova. But I ain't threatened by the Cajun. And if Jean's really yer best friend, then you shouldn't feel threatened at all. Jean and I flirt, but it's all in good fun." He paused, watching Ororo closely.

"It might've meant something when I first came here, but that was nearly eight years ago, fer Christ's sake. I've changed and so has she. I'm not that big of an ass anymore. I had kinda hoped ya knew that since ya said ya loved me and all." He paused again. His eyes seemed to look straight through her body. "Hell, Jean ain't uncomfortable around me anymore and I'm glad. We can talk and actually have a real conversation now. Sure, we joke around in private, but we don't do it in front of people because of this!"

Ororo's angry expression faltered for a moment.

"I ain't out to have an affair or some bullshit like that. She's my God-damned friend, Storm." Logan finished with a growl.

The use of her codename surprised her. It spoke volumes of the anger he was trying desperately to contain. While he had yelled, he hadn't expressed his anger physically, which was often common for him. He only ever called her Storm in the field. And even then, it was rare to hear him utter the name.

"What? Nothin' left t'say? Outta ammo?" He demanded when he noticed her silence.

"Get out of my room!" She finally yelled, coming to her senses.

Without looking at him, she turned away and felt his eyes on her back. He was angry but she was still hurt. She wouldn't let him win so easily. The weather goddess walked to the window and didn't turn around. Thunder shook the house and lightening danced across the sky as water streamed down in the sky in sheets.

"Not until we resolve this." He said irritably.

"There's nothing left to say." She barked. Ororo kept her back to him and the weather shook the house again.

"Look, I'm sorry about the other night!" He yelled, frustrated at this cold treatment. "You of all people should know its painful fer me to talk about my past!"

"How could I know when you've never talked to me about it?!"

"Maybe my silence about it should've clued you in!" He snarled.

Ororo shook with anger, her emotions taking over. The weather became worse and Logan was becoming concerned. Jean had warned him earlier about the connection between her emotions and her powers. He had always known about that, but she rarely lost control like this.

She turned around, her eyes still white but now they sparked with energy. Logan could smell the familiar scent of ozone radiated from her. Her hair began to rise slightly from the static electricity that was pouring off of her. Wind began whipping around the room and Logan brought his hand up to shield his face.

"Ororo, darlin', ya need to calm down!" He shouted over the wind.

Instead of listening, Ororo rose up in the air and flew out of the skylight, raging alongside the weather.

"That can't be good." He said to himself, looking up to the open skylight as rain splattered his face.

* * *

So, what did you guys think? I tried to make the fight realistic, but I dunno if I managed it or not. Please let me know your thoughts!

PAF

Jubes


	11. Riders on the Storm

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, folks! I hope this chapter is ok…I'm not great at action stuff, but I tried. Please let me know if this sucks or not!

Oh and LittleTree, I couldn't avoid the cop-out! ;-) Sorry!

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PART 11: Riders on the Storm

Streaking through the sky, Rogue came crashing down into the snow and mud hard. She left a long trail in the mud as she slid to a stop. Jean and Wolverine helped her up quickly before all three of them shielded their eyes from the rain.

"She won't let me get close enough!" She called to Jean and Wolverine over the noise of the storm.

"And it's impossible to penetrate her mind when she's like this." Jean said loudly.

"We need t'stop her before she destroys half of Salem Center!" Wolverine shouted, looking up into the sky.

Storm was a small dot above them where the weather raged around her. Two trees were smoldering from the lightening. Shingles were flicking off of the roof from the wind and it was only a matter of time before the windows came crashing in.

"Where the hell is everyone?" Rogue shouted.

"Scott took them in town to run errands!" Jean answered, calling up a telekinetic orb to protect them from the elements.

"Take about bad timin'." Rogue commented, ringing out her hair.

"Jean, can you get us up there?" Wolverine asked, shaking the water out of his hair. "If we can distract her, maybe Rogue can nail her."

"I think it's our only option at this point." Jean replied. "Rogue, do you have an extra elastic?"

Rogue smiled and dug deep into her jeans pocket. She tossed Jean a black elastic and Jean quickly swept her hair from her face.

"Alright, gang, let's take care of this gal!" Rogue said, hovering above the ground. Jean nodded and formed an orb around her and Logan.

Suddenly the doors to the mansion opened and a small figure came rushing towards them. It was Jubilee, dressed in her yellow trench coat.

"Can I help?" She shouted, looking up to Ororo.

"Get inside!" Logan growled.

"No!" Jean said, looking at Jubilee. "She can help us distract Storm!"

Jubilee beamed and looked up again.

"Shoot up some fireworks, try to get her attention!" Jean instructed. "We're going up to give Rogue as much help as possible!"

Jubilee nodded and plasmoids began swirling around her hands.

Their plan finally set, the X-Men took to the sky while Jubilee began sending up fireworks as high as she could.

"STORM!" Jean yelled as they approached her. "Please, stop this!"  
Storm looked to Jean and narrowed her eyes. Wolverine was with her.

"Ororo, darlin', you gotta stop!" Logan shouted.

Suddenly colorful blasts of fireworks exploded all around them and Ororo turned her head from side to side, looking for the source. She looked down and noticed Jubilee standing on the lawn, shooting more blasts into the sky. She raised her hand and pointed to the young girl on the lawn. A gust of wind violently threw her to the ground.

"Ororo! That was Jubilee!" Jean yelled in dismay. "You need to calm down!"

Jean concentrated and tried to wrap Ororo in telekinetic ropes. Storm saw her and scowled in anger. She directed lightening towards them and it slammed into the telekinetic orb Jean had constructed. Rogue seized her chance and grasped Ororo's face with her bare hand. But the damage had been done.

"Shit!" Jean cried, losing all of her concentration. Wolverine only had a second to realize the cushion of telekinetic energy was gone before he grasped onto Jean. They began falling fast and Rogue seemed stuck in a chaotic field of electrical energy as she drained Storm.

Logan pulled Jean on top of him and waited for them to crash into the ground. Jean closed her eyes in concentration, slowing their descent. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to stop their fall. They slammed into the ground with a loud thud. Jean's head slammed into his chin and he cringed. While Logan took the brunt of the impact, Jean was knocked unconscious from the collision.

Shaking his head, Logan squinted and looked up. Rogue was flying towards them with Ororo limp in her arms.

"Ah'm gonna try t'calm this weather down!" She shouted, laying Storm next to them. "Are y'all ok?"  
"Yeah, we're fine!" Logan replied, slowly moving Jean aside.

Logan stood up, wincing in pain. They had hit the ground at a high speed even with Jean's efforts. He wouldn't be surprised if she had a broken rib from the fall, along with a serious concussion. Shaking off the pain, Wolverine picked up Jean and carefully hefted her onto his shoulder. Moving meticulously, he managed to get Ororo up on his other shoulder. Grunting from the added weight on his already sore body, Logan went to find Jubilation.

She was standing up, holding her head with one hand. She looked unsteady on her feet and Logan wondered how injured she was. He saw blood trickle down between her fingers and growled. If he was angry with Storm before, now he was beyond furious.

"That sucked." Jubilee moaned, looking at Wolverine.

"You ok?" He asked.

"Just a scratch." She mumbled, moving her hair out of the way so he could get a better look. The rain washed the blood into her face but he could tell it needed stitches.

Suddenly, the rain stopped and the wind calmed down. They looked up to see Rogue giving a thumbs up. She landed gracefully next to Logan and took Ororo from his arm.

"Let's get the gals ta the infirmary, Logan." Rogue said, leading them towards the front stairs. Jubilee limped next to Wolverine but didn't complain about her leg.

* * *

Logan sat in front of Jubilee with a needle in his hand. While Hank was the resident doctor, Logan knew he far share of simple medical procedures. He didn't want Jubilation losing any more blood than necessary, so he had tossed her in a chair and got the stitching materials out.

"Do I really need stitches?" She asked nervously. Logan nodded and then held her chin with his free hand.

"Hold still. This'll numb you up." He instructed, carefully injecting the Novocain into her wound.

Wolverine then proceeded to carefully sew her wound up. On the other side of the room, Rogue was hooking up Jean to a monitor. Ororo was unconscious in the bed next to her.

He finished closing up the gash on Jubilee's head and then began wrapping her ankle. Jubilee remained quiet while he tended to her and kept glancing at Ororo. Rogue's eyes were still entirely white while she tended to her teammate.

"I think Jean needs an X-Ray." Rogue said to Logan.

"I'll do it." He replied as he finished wrapping Jubilee's ankle. "Yer all set, darlin'."

Jubilee gingerly stood up and looked in the mirror next to the bed.

"Gross." She grumbled, lightly touching the stitches.

"Go clean up." He said, patting her arm gently. "I'll bring up some pain meds once the Novocain wears off."

Jubilee nodded and slowly hobbled to the exit. "You guys don't need help?"

"No, child, we're fine." Rogue assured her. Jubilee smiled at how Rogue talked, realizing she picked up Ororo's speech patterns.

Jubilee turned and left the Med Lab.

"I can't believe this." Logan growled, hooking up the portable x-ray.

"What happened?" Rogue asked while she draped the lead jacket over Jean's chest.

"Had a fight and she went nuts." Logan said simply. He placed the machine over Jean's ribcage and Rogue stepped back into the other room as he took the image. Radiation had no effect on Logan, but he doubted she needed to be so cautious. These portable machines weren't as powerful as the non-mobile ones.

He pulled the film from the machine and held it to the lights.

"It's safe." He called over his shoulder.

Rogue sauntered back in and checked on Ororo. Her pulse was regular and her eyes reacted to the light like normal.

"Ororo should be awake in an hour or so." Rogue said, walking back towards Logan. "What does the film look like?"

"She has a cracked rib." Logan replied, pointing to the film. "I think we should check her skull, too."

"Shouldn't we wait for Hank for that?" Rogue asked doubtfully.

"I think we can handle it." He replied, opening Jean's eyes. "Can you bring her into the other room while I set up the CAT scan?"

"Sure."

Rogue picked up Jean and brought her into the room that contained the CAT tube. She carefully placed Jean on the table, strapping her unconscious body to secure her. She taped Jean's forehead down and walked back to join Logan in the observation room. Rogue pulled the door closed behind her and sat next to Logan.

Wolverine was setting up the program confidently. Rogue watched him closely, hoping he didn't mess anything up.

"Here goes nothin'." Logan said, hitting a button.

They watched as Jean got pulled into the machine and the machine began to hum as it came to life. A few minutes later, the table came back out and the images were popping up on the screen.

"Well?" Rogue asked, looking over his shoulder.

"I gotta look at 'em." Logan replied, looking at each picture. "Why don't you put her back in bed?"

Rogue nodded and followed his request easily. Ororo was still knocked out when she placed Jean carefully on the bed next to her. Realizing both women were soaked through, Rogue fished out some scrubs from the drawer.

Glancing over her shoulder to make sure Logan was still in the other room, Rogue peeled off Jean's clothes and carefully pulled on a dry set of clothes. Once she was changed, Rogue placed her on a new bed and balled up the wet sheets. It took about fifteen minutes before she began to undress Ororo. By then, Logan was just finishing up in the other room and walked in.

Rogue didn't hear him behind her as she pulled Ororo's wet pants off carefully.

"Need help?" Logan offered.

"Don't you have any sense of decency?" Rogue snapped, stepping in front of Ororo. "Get outta here!"

"I've seen her naked plenty." Logan replied, amused.

"Oh…um…right." Rogue said blushing. "Yeah, Ah could use a hand."

Logan nodded and quickly slid the dry pants up her legs. Rogue watched him, amused.

"Looks like y'all have done this before." She commented.

"Yeah, you could say I got experience."

She laughed and pulled a dry top over Ororo's head. Soon, she was in a new, dry bed as well.

"Sound like yer accent's comin' back." Logan said, checking Ororo's pulse.

"Yeah, she should be comin' around soon."

"I need to find Hank." Logan finally said, looking over at Jean. "She cracked her skull."

Rogue gasped. "Want me t'go and check Harry's Hideaway? Ah think he might've gone theah with Bobby."

"Yeah, that'd be good. I know he left his com-badge here." He said, pointing to the circular disk on Hank's desk.

With a nod, Rogue flew out of the Med Lab just as Ororo's eyes fluttered open. She looked around and slowly sat up. Logan looked at her, but kept his distance.

"Logan?" She said weakly. "What happened?"

"You did." Logan replied sharply.

She winced at his tone and leaned back on the pillows behind her.

"I don't remember." Ororo said, rubbing her head.

"Do you remember our fight?" Logan asked, checking on Jean's pulse. His back was to Ororo as he waited for her answer.

"Yes." She answered.

Logan sighed and looked over at her. Ororo looked upset as she tried to call up a wind to dry her hair. When it didn't work, she looked down at her hands in surprise.

"You maxed out yer powers pretty good." Logan said, walking over to her. "Ya probably tapped 'em fer the time being."

She sighed, knowing he was right.

"I'm sorry." He said, sitting on the end of her bed. "I shouldn't have snapped at you in the car."

Ororo met his eyes and reached out for his hand.

"No, Logan, it's my fault." She replied. "I should know better than to push you like that."

"Push me?" He laughed harshly. "All you did was ask a question, darlin'. Ain't no harm in that."

Ororo smiled at him and kissed his fingers.

"Is Jean alright?" She asked, looking to her best friend.

"I'm not sure." He replied. "She cracked her skull on my chin when we fell."

"Fell?"

"I'll fill you in later."

Ororo nodded, confused.

"Jubilee just has a cut and a sprained ankle."

"Jubilee was hurt?" Ororo gasped. "I hurt her?"

"Yeah, but she's fine." Logan said. There was a flash of anger in his eyes as he spoke.

"You have every right to be angry with me." She said, seeing the look in his eyes. "I acted like a fool and hurt my friends."

"You should see the grounds." He said. Logan stood up and checked on Jean again, using the time to push down his feelings. If she was talking to him again, he didn't want to screw things up again. They could deal with the repercussions of tonight another time.

Rogue flew into the lab shortly after he stood and landed, out of breath.

"Hank's on his way." She reported to Logan.

"Good." He said. "She needs a doctor."

"How're you feelin, sugah?" Rogue asked, walking over to Ororo.

"Tired, but I'll be fine." She replied. "I am sorry for causing such trouble this evening."

"It happens, honey." Rogue said. "No worries."

"Yeah, darlin', it'll be fine."

"Ah'll go bring Jubilee her drugs." Rogue offered.

Logan nodded and stepped over to the medicine cabinet. Knowing she wasn't allergic to codeine, he pulled out the bottle and poured out two pills.

"Just give her these fer now. They'll knock her out so she can get some sleep."

"Sure thang, Wolvie." Rogue said, taking the two pills from him.

Rogue again took to the air and flew from the Med Lab. Wolverine was always amused when she flew in the house. It just looked so strange to see her floating through the hallways.

Ororo slowly stood up and walked over to Jean. Logan watched her carefully, half-expecting the weather witch to fall down.

"Take it easy." He warned.

Before Ororo could reply, Hank came through the sliding doors.

"Logan, what's happened?" He demanded, stepping towards Jean.

Logan told Henry everything that happened and then showed him the test results from the scan he had done. Ororo stood by, listening intently and felt tears on her cheeks as Henry starting evaluating the images from the CAT scan.

"I need to run some tests." Hank muttered under his breath. "Logan, thanks for doing this."

"No prob, doc." He replied, watching Ororo.

"Take Ororo to her room." Hank said, not really paying attention to them. "I need to run some tests."

Logan looked at him and glanced at Ororo.

"Are you alright?" Ororo finally asked.

Henry looked up at them and it was as if he just noticed they were there.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine." He replied, waving them off. "Go on now."

Shrugging, Logan led Ororo out of the room. They walked together, holding hands, as they approached the elevators. The metal doors slid open and they stepped in. As soon as the doors closed, Ororo quickly stepped towards and pulled him into a passionate kiss. Shocked but not one to argue, Logan kissed her back and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her hands clutched his head and she kissed him fiercely. Logan's hands pushed up her shirt and he ran his fingers down her spine. Ororo moaned into his mouth in return and raked her nails through his hair.

The doors slid open on the third floor but they didn't notice. They closed again, leaving the lovers inside.

Logan turned his attention to her neck and she moaned again. Ororo leaned into his warm body and pushed him against the wall as she claimed his mouth again.

Breathing heavily, Logan pulled back and ran his finger down Ororo's cheek.

"Let's go upstairs." He said. His voice was deep and husky, causing Ororo to kiss him again.

Logan slowly pulled her closer to the door, hitting the button to open the doors. They almost fell out of the elevator but Logan held her up. Their lips were still locked until they heard a very distinct "hem-hem!".

Their heads whipped around to see Jubilee standing there leaning on a cane.

"You guys so need a room!" She said, making gagging noises.

"Sorry, Jubes." Logan said, laughing as he pulled Ororo down the hall towards the loft door.

Jubilee rolled her eyes at them and laughed. She turned to see them open the door to Ororo's room.

"Goodnight, guys."

She didn't receive a response as the loft door slammed shut.

* * *

So, what did you guys think?? I'll be working on the next chapter tonight and probably tomorrow morning, so I hope to have it up soon!

PAF  
Jubes


	12. You were Always on My Mind

A/N: Yay! Reviews! I love getting reviews, as does every writer. And I'm glad my fight scene wasn't too far-fetched. Ok, well this chapter is more of an interlude, I guess. No dialogue, just Wolvie thinking.

Disclaimer: Still don't own them, despite my deepest wishes…

* * *

PART 12: You were Always on My Mind

Ororo slept soundly in Logan's arms that night. Once he was sure she was sleeping heavily, Logan slid out from under her and walked to the window. He surveyed the property and grimaced. Two trees would have to be cut down and countless branches were twisted or broken off the rest. The roof would have to be repaired, something he was not looking forward to. The front walk looked like it could use some new bricks and he knew a lot of the grass would have to be replanted in the spring. That trench where Rogue had slammed into the ground was deeper than he thought.

He returned to the bed after pouring himself a glass of water from the carafe that sat under the window and slipped under the covers, deep in thought. What could he possibly say about what happened? It's not like he never lost control. He was infamous for that berserker rage of his and it would be hypocritical to chastise her for doing much the same thing.

But there was also Jubilation and Jean. He cared about both of those women deeply and it bothered him something fierce that Ororo had hurt them in a mindless rage. He tended to lose control with people like Sabretooth, not his teammates. Granted, he could lose his temper with One-Eye easily enough, but he never really injured him.

His thoughts returned to Jean again and he wondered if he had done the right thing during that fall. She had a cracked skull because of him along with a broken rib. He had hoped the snow would cushion their fall, but Ororo's rain had washed away most of it by then.

Logan couldn't believe the amount of damage that fifteen minutes of that storm had done. And he was still shocked it had only been fifteen minutes. It felt much longer. But, he mused, it probably had a lot to do with being worried.

And, if he was being truthful with himself, scared.

Ororo stirred next to him and he looked over at her. She had such a peaceful look about her now. It was hard to believe it was only just a few hours ago that she had lost control.

He slowly drank the cup of rain water and continued to think about the events leading up to their fight. Logan was still confused why she would think he used her for sex when she was the one avoiding him. It didn't make any sense to him at all.

Of course, he had had his fair share of one-night stands with X-Women in the past. Whenever X-Force had been around, Domino would sometime come to him to relieve stress. At least that's what she always said and Logan never questioned her.

He also recalled a night with Dazzler back when they lived in Australia. Longshot never found out about that and he doubted Ali ever told anyone. It had been just one night, right after a hard mission and she had fought with Longshot earlier that day. He smiled slightly at the memory.

Hell, things got close one time with Betsy not too long ago, but they had been interrupted by the house alarms. The kiss they shared ended and they never returned to it. Logan couldn't help but wonder if Kwannon's presence had something to do with that. When Revanche had been here, Psylocke felt more alive. She had admitted to it several times. They never talked about it and it was moot since she was with Warren now.

It certainly didn't help that he could sense desire and smell their arousal in those cases. How could a man say no to that? It would be different now, he knew that. This wasn't just a fling like it had been with those other women. Logan realized that he would probably be with Ororo until the end of her days.

Of course, that didn't mean he wouldn't miss that type of random sex. Domino was crazy in bed, something he always enjoyed. And of course there was Yukio. They had been together for a while, a long time ago. Sometimes they would sleep together and sometimes they didn't when he visited. But he could always tell when she wanted him. He always knew, no matter who it was.

He had sensed the desire from Rogue a few years ago and always had to leave the house whenever that happened. Lord knows he didn't need to get killed having sex. Logan had even picked up the scent from Revanche during her brief stay here, but nothing ever happened. She died shortly after he had noticed it.

Jean had noticed how women reacted when Logan was around and they had even talked about it once. She theorized it had to do with his primal nature. It called out to women in that primal sense and caused their sex drive to increase. At the time, Logan had laughed at the idea and ignored it. Now, however, he realized that perhaps Jean had been correct. Looking back on his experiences with the other X-Women, he knew they had all felt it at one time or another in his presence. It was just a matter of acting on it or not.

His thoughts returned to the woman by his side and he touched her face briefly. When they slept together for the first time last week, Logan had been afraid that it would end up like all the others. But he was pleased when he still sensed that burning desire from Ororo the next day. And again the day after that. And again. She truly loved him and he was still amazed that it finally happened.

Logan had secretly desired Ororo for over five years, but he never sensed she returned the feelings. As a result, he had kept them quiet, locked down in his body, whenever she was near him. But then on Christmas, he had smelled it. Desire had been radiating from her body but he thought he had been wrong. He tried to convince himself he was wrong the entire night.

The days that followed when she didn't talk to him he could still sense it. Whenever she was near, even in the next room, Logan detected the desire burning under her skin. When she came to his room and told him she loved him, his senses had been on fire from being so close to the object of his desire.

Perhaps it was because she was also a primal person, connected to nature in much the same way he was, he ponder. In fact, he was almost certain that had to be the reason. It made perfect sense. Logan had been in love before but he had never felt so enlivened and passionate before.

Even when they fought earlier that night, his senses seemed to ache for her. Simply touching her was satisfying, which had surprised Logan at first. But upon thinking about it, Logan figured that it fit. He wondered if Ororo felt the same or if he only felt this way due to his enhanced senses.

With these thoughts running through his mind, Logan drifted off to sleep with an arm wrapped around Ororo's stomach.

* * *

As you can probably guess, I took some liberties with what has happened between Wolvie and some of the other X-Women in the past. I fed this off of that conversation between Logan and Domino about having no-strings attached sex in the annual. I have no idea if he ever had anything to do with Dazzler and Betsy.

So, what did you think? I'll have the next chapter up relatively soon and Ororo will have to face the damage she's inflicted. Let's just say the other X-Men will be less than impressed…

PAF

Jubes


	13. What's The Story Morning Glory?

A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews! I'm glad so many people are enjoying this story. I'm having fun writing it, so it's nice to see that my joy isn't wasted. This is a tad short, but I'm working on chapter 14 so I should have some more up in the next few days…

Disclaimer: Sadly, the X-Men are not mine…

* * *

PART 13: What's the Story, Morning Glory?

As the sun rose over the hill, Ororo stood outside, looking at the damage she had caused. Trees were twisted and broken. One of the fountains had been blow to bits by a strong blast of lightening. Shingles were ripped off the roof. What on earth was the matter with her? She had never lost control so easily before. And all over an argument that was could've been resolved without this horrible violence. Ororo had never felt more ashamed of herself. Perhaps this relationship with Logan wasn't such a good idea after all.

And then she had practically attacked Logan in the elevator while her best friend was in the Med Lab with what seemed like serious injuries. What kind of friend was she, if Jean's injuries didn't stifle her sudden urge to be with Logan? And why on earth had that happened in the first place? She had been crying as they left the Med Lab and then locked in a passionate kiss three minutes later. Ororo pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on. She was so confused. Maybe a talk with Jean when she was feeling better would help.

At least Jubilation hadn't been seriously hurt, she thought. But the fact that she had hurt Jubilee at all bothered her immensely. She treated the young woman as a surrogate daughter, as did most of the other women in the house, and Ororo attacked her without rational thought.

Thank the goddess that Rogue was able to take control of the situation, she reflected. Rogue had been training with all of the other X-Men in using their powers over the past few months and it appeared as though it had been a good idea after all. Most of the team had been against the idea, but Professor Xavier had declared it was of utmost importance that Rogue be able to handle everyone's powers in case of an emergency. If he only knew how right he had been, Ororo mused. She remembered voicing concern over the idea and was glad she had been wrong. Many of the other X-Men had said they didn't want anyone absorbing their thoughts and she couldn't blame them. It was unnerving to know someone would experience everything you had with a simple touch. Her mind drifted to that meeting and smiled at the irony. Logan had been one of the only X-Men to fully support the idea and it was his simple argument that finally won over the majority.

_"If I trust Rogue with my memories, none of you should have any problems."_

Ororo could tell Logan was still angry with her over her actions and the injuries she caused, particularly those to Jubilee. When she asked him about it this morning, he had told her that they would talk about it after they went to the meeting and checked on Jean. He was just happy she was back to herself and in control again. While he said those comforting words, Ororo could read his body language like a book and knew she was in for an angry conversation later on.

* * *

"You destroyed the grounds." Scott's angry voice boomed in the War Room. "More importantly, you injured Jubilee and Jean is still in a coma. What, exactly, happened last night?"

It was just past seven in the morning and the team was assembled, mostly in pajamas, in the War Room underneath the mansion. Rogue was wrapped in an ankle-length bathrobe and Remy was lounging back in sweat pants and a plan tank top. Betsy was wearing a short silk robe, showing her legs to everyone who was looking. Bobby sat in his snow-man decorated flannel pants with a long-sleeved shirt on. Jubilee was sitting next to Logan, looking groggy and wearing flannel pajamas. Warren, on the other hand, was fully dressed, as was Scott. Wolverine was also dressed, having been awake for nearly an hour already. Hank was still in the Med Lab watching over his patient, Jean Grey.

Charles was still visiting Muir Island to work with Moira McTaggert on finding a cure for the Legacy Virus. Otherwise, he would've been holding the meeting instead of Scott Summers.

Ororo stood at the other end of the table wearing her uniform. The cape that usually accompanied the white outfit was left upstairs.

"I lost control." She said simply. There was no quiver in her voice when she spoke, which was common when she addressed the team.

"I know that, Storm." Cyclops said, clearly annoyed. "What caused you to lose control?"

"Personal problems." Storm replied coolly. "Do not concern yourself with how I lost control, as that is not the issue. I will repair the damage outside."

"That's not good enough, Storm." Scott snapped. "You injured two people. Based on that, I think the reason you lost control is important."

"I disagree." Ororo said. "As I share the responsibility of leadership, my opinion carries as much weight as your own. It is enough that I lost control, is it not? Henry is confident that Jean will fully recover once she awakes and Jubilation only suffered minor injuries."

The two team leaders stared at each other while her words hung in the air. Tension was mounting and the other team members exchanged glances.

"This has to do with Wolverine, doesn't it?" Cyclops spat. Logan kept his face neutral, letting Storm handle the issue as she requested earlier.

"It does not matter if it does or not." Came her calm reply. "You are angry because Jean is injured. Do you think I am not angry with myself as well? She is my best friend, Scott."

"And boy do I have a headache."

Everyone whipped around to the doorway to see Jean sitting in a wheelchair with Hank next to her.

"Ms. Grey insisted upon coming down here, against medical advice." Henry said, giving Jean a sideways glance.

Smiles spread on everyone's faces and Ororo stepped forward to her.

"I am so sorry, Jean. Are you alright?" She asked, crouching down.

"I'm a little sore, but nothing time won't heal." Jean replied smiling.

The meeting ended unofficially as other teammates stood to greet Jean, happy to see her awake. Without asking for permission, most of the team then headed upstairs to the kitchen for breakfast.

Scott scowled at Logan and Ororo as they left the War Room. They followed Hank and Jean back to the Med Lab with Scott on their heels.

"Please, Jean needs her rest." Hank said, pausing at the door. Logan and Ororo took the hint and stepped back.

"I shall visit you later." Ororo promised, squeezing her friend's hand.

"I'll see you later." Jean replied, still smiling.

"Jean?" Scott asked, stepping forward.

"I'm fine, Scott. A broken rib and a hairline fracture in my skull isn't something to get so worried about. I'm just tired now." The redhead said confidently.

"I'll bring you some lunch later." He promised, kissing her cheek lightly.

Logan and Ororo began walking towards the elevators as Scott caught up to them.

"I certainly hope your personal relationship won't affect this team in the future." He said, crossing his arms.

"Listen, One-Eye, why don't you mind yer own business?" Logan growled. Ororo placed her hand on his arm in an attempt to calm him.

"When it concerns how this team operates, it becomes my business."

"Scott, please." Ororo said in an annoyed tone. "When you and Jean argue, no one bothers you despite the damage that sometimes accompanies it. I have apologized and have taken full responsibility for the damage I caused. I believe the issue is now over."

Scott didn't reply as Logan and Ororo stepped into the elevator. He didn't follow, but watched them as the doors slid shut with a frown on his face.

* * *

I'm sorry it isn't very long, but I wanted to post a little something today while I worked on the next part. I'm not sure how many more chapters this particular story will have, but we'll see.

What did you guys think??

PAF

Jubes


	14. Love Hurts

A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating this chapter. I've been fussing with it and rewriting a lot of it. I'm finally satisfied with this one and I hope you guys like it. Oh and _italics_ are for flashbacks but it's pretty obvious when you get to it.

A/N2: It would rock if I could get up to 150 reviews with this chapter (hinthint), but I'll take any reviews I can get. I like to hear what people say, even if you just email like a few already do…you guys are all wonderful and I hope I did this chapter justice.

Disclaimer: Same old, same old.

* * *

PART 14: Love Hurts

An hour later, Logan and Ororo stood out by the lake, in a heated conversation. Things had started out friendly enough, but after Ororo's most recent question, Logan became highly annoyed. His voice was raised now and Ororo stood ten feet from him, her slender arms tightly crossed over her chest.

"Whaddya mean, 'is this a good idea?'!" He demanded for the third time.

"Look at what our union has caused!" She retorted, careful to keep her anger in check.

"Jean and Jube are fine." He replied with a slight snap. "The trees can be replanted and the roof ain't that bad. It's not a big deal, 'Ro."

"How can you say that?" Ororo said, sighing.

Logan glowered. He glanced up at the sunny sky and suddenly found himself wishing he were anywhere else. Canada would be nice, but anywhere would do. His breath hung on the air in white puffs as he thought over a response.

"No one was seriously hurt. Nothin' was seriously damaged." He replied coolly. "I don't see how us bein' together is bad. We had a fight. Big flamin' deal, darlin'."

"You say that as if it fixes everything." Ororo said, looking at him with an unreadable expression. "Some things cannot be fixed."

"We could try." He said.

"How can you honestly stand there, Logan, and tell me that this relationship is a good idea?" Storm demanded. "I injured my friends and destroyed a good portion of the grounds simply because of a small fight. I lost control because of a simple argument with you, Logan! What happens when we fight again? What happens when it's a bigger fight?"

"Ya just gotta work on keeping yerself in check." Logan said simply.

"I have been working on keeping myself in check since I was thirteen!" She retorted. "But then a simple argument with you has me losing complete control in under five minutes. I cannot allow that to happen again."

"Now that we know what'll happen, we'll just have t'be careful."

"Careful?" She questioned angrily. "I have always been careful, until last night. You managed to make me lose control of my emotions. Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? The damage from what happened last night was small compared to what my powers are capable of doing. Losing control like that is something I cannot afford to do again."

Logan sighed as he tried to think of something else to say. She was being unreasonable, he thought. It was an accident, and while he had been upset about it earlier in the day, the meeting has soothed his anger. Ororo had taken full responsibility for her actions and was truly sorry for injuring her friends. That meant a lot to Logan and he found he couldn't be angry with her about last night. In fact, he felt proud of the way she handled the situation today.

"I am sorry, Logan, but I cannot allow myself to be with you." Her voice cut through his thoughts, catching him by surprise.

"What?" He questioned in disbelief.

"It's over, Logan." Ororo said, somewhat coldly. " I'm sorry, but this isn't working for me."

"Not workin' for you or for the team?" Logan challenged.

"Both." Came the curt reply.

"Bullshit."

"I enjoyed our time together, truly I did, but it's too dangerous for the team if we stay together. I refuse to endanger our teammates over this."

Her face showed no emotion as she said those words. Logan felt a deep pain welling up in his chest as he processed what she was saying. Recovering quickly from his shock, Wolverine stared at the woman who meant so much to him.

"This, as you so casually put it, happens t'be the best thing that's ever happened t'me, 'Ro." Logan replied. "Don't I have any say in this?"

His voice was steady and his body language didn't reveal any emotion whatsoever. Ororo's eyes met his and she frowned, trying to hold back tears. The blue eyes that she loved were narrowed at her in an expression she had only seen in the field.

"No, Logan, you don't. I'm sorry."

"I love you." He said simply but passionately.

Ororo looked at Logan with sad eyes but she did not say the three words that he was hoping to hear.

"This cannot continue."

Her words were final, confident, emotionless. Logan's expression hide the pain he felt and looked at his lover, hoping to see a crack in her fierce façade. None came.

"Fine." Logan replied flatly.

Without another word, Logan turned on his heel and walked back towards the mansion, chilled to his bones but it had nothing to do with the weather.

* * *

Days turned into weeks, weeks into months. Spring was slowly showing its head as two months dissolved away and March was beginning. The last remnants of snow were melting and the trees had new buds growing on them. The fountain and roof were repaired. Saplings were planted to replace the trees that were killed. Logan had done most of the work with Remy, both men working in silence most of the time. The few times they spoke it was about motorcycles. Remy knew not to push the older man and Logan appreciated the younger man's silence about the subject that was clearly on his mind.

With an unnerving ease, Ororo and Logan fell into a routine of avoiding each other when they were in the mansion. The only times they really saw one another was in the Danger Room or in the field. Even then, they didn't meet often since Logan was usually under Scott's command on the Blue Team. At first, their lack of contact raised a few eyebrows among the other team members, but no one asked.

Ororo had taken to pruning the plants in the greenhouse or in her attic when she had any spare time. She knew Logan wouldn't come into the greenhouse due to the various, fairly potent scents that hung in the air. The attic had become off-limits to him and he knew it, so she felt comfortable there. When she could, Ororo often left the mansion with some of the other women for lunch or coffee in her attempts to avoid Logan.

Logan, on the other hand, spent most of his time in the mansion or in the garage. Working on his motorcycle took his mind off everything and gave him an excuse to give Remy a hard time about the state of disrepair the Cajun's bike was in. When he wasn't polishing the chrome on his bike, Logan was found in the Danger Room.

Jubilee was also a good distraction and he found himself spending a great deal of time with her. Her constant chatting annoyed most, but Logan enjoyed the sound of her voice so he rarely complained. After the first few days of awkward meals, Logan started eating dinner with Jubilee after everyone else had finished.

Their teammates noticed immediately that something had gone wrong. Jean asked Ororo what was wrong between them and received a bitter reply along with a rumble of thunder. After that, no one bothered to ask Ororo about Logan. Everyone already knew it would be pointless to ask Logan anything, so the subject slowly disappeared as the other X-Men continued with their normal routines as if nothing had happened.

"Hey, Wolvster." Jubilee greeted as she skated into the kitchen.

Logan nodded at her as he bit into his sandwich.

"I gotta do some simulations in the Blackbird today." She began, leaning on the counter with her roller blade stopper solidly on the floor. "Can you supervise me? The Prof said I needed a 'senior team member to oversee my training'." Her voice mimicked Charles' fairly well and Logan couldn't help but smile at her.

"Sure. Got nothin' else t'do." He replied around the final bite of his lunch.

"Great!" Jubilee exclaimed happily. "I booked the Danger Room for one."

Logan glanced at the clock on the wall.

"Well we better get down there." He said, standing. "It's five after."

Jubilee grinned and quickly skated out of the kitchen.

"No skates on that jet!" He called after her. He received a thumbs up in reply as the girl sped towards the large wooden door that led to the control booth of the Danger Room.

Jubilee entered the control booth and stopped short. Logan followed her in seconds later and did the same thing as the young woman. Ororo was standing in the control booth, surprised to see them both. It was the first time in weeks they had been in the same room together. Her eyes flickered to Logan for a second before she turned her attention to Jubilee.

"You are late, Jubilation." She said, ignoring Logan's scowl.

"Late?" Jubilee replied defensively. "For what?"

"The Professor asked me to oversee your training today since you never informed him who you had asked." The African goddess replied.

"I asked Wolvie." She said, pointing her thumb towards Logan.

Ororo looked at Logan and they didn't speak for a long moment. Jubilee felt as if she should leave but Logan was blocking the door.

"I'll take care of it, Storm." Logan said. His tone was flat and he crossed his arms over his chest in a defensive manner. "You can go back to yer flowers." He added in a vicious tone. Jubilee almost winced at his words but she managed to control her expression.

"Very well, Wolverine, but only if you're certain that your motorcycle can be left alone for so long a time." Ororo said, clearly irked by his statement. Jubilee watched as Logan's eyes narrowed and he was practically seething. Storm turned her attention away from him and looked down at the young woman. "Jubilation, the next time you are asked to train with a senior member, please make sure you inform the Professor of your choice."

Jubilee nodded, knowing now was not the time to make any smart comments. Ororo walked towards the door but Logan didn't move.

"Excuse me, Wolverine." When he didn't move, Storm added with a steely gaze, "As you said, I have flowers to attend to."

Jubilee could've sworn the temperature dropped as the words left Storm's mouth. The firecracker couldn't recall Storm sounding so, well, nasty in the time she had known the weather witch. Not even in the field had that tone been used. She watched as Storm and Wolverine locked eyes again. The tension in the room was palpable and Jubilee suddenly wished that she could teleport.

"Wouldn't want t'keep ya from such an important job." Wolverine finally said in a low voice, stepping aside.

Choosing to ignore his comment, Ororo swept by him and the door slammed shut behind her. Jubilee couldn't hide her reaction this time as the loud bang caused her to wince.

"Ouch." It was barely above a whisper but Jubilee knew he had heard it.

"Yeah." He replied simply, walking towards the controls. His voice was quiet so Jubilee could tell that seeing Storm had been painful. "Go on down and I'll set it up."

Jubilee nodded, knowing he wouldn't talk about it just yet. She quickly pulled on sneakers and climbed down into the Danger Room as he pulled up the simulation program.

* * *

Two hours later…

Logan was impressed by Jubilee's ability to handle the Blackbird, even if it was just a simulation. He had thrown her a few curve balls, causing about six different engine problems, but she had handled each one well. She was a natural at flying the large jet, he decided. While all of the X-Men could fly the Blackbird, only a few did so on a regular basis. He had a feeling Jubilee would join the select few once she was a little older.

"Let's go out for dinner." Logan said as she finished shutting down the jet.

"Really?" She said excitedly.

"Yeah."

"Cool!" Jubilee smiled and a few small fireworks popped in the air.

"Burgers sound good?"

"Of course." Came the prompt reply. Logan let a small smile settle on his face as they walked out of the Danger Room.

"We'll take the hog." He said, watching her reaction. He didn't think it was possible, but her smile got bigger.

"Alright!"

"Go change." Logan instructed. "I'd recommend pants since it's supposed to get pretty cool tonight. Meet me in the garage at six."

Nodding, Jubilee took off down the hall.

"So, Stormy be pretty upset, mon ami." Remy said as he stepped out of the shadows.

"Well, _mon__ ami_, it ain't none of yer concern." Logan replied without looking at the Cajun. Logan had known he was in the shadowy doorway as soon as the Danger Room doors opened.

"What happened?" Remy asked.

Logan let a small growl escape as he turned towards Gambit.

"Listen, Gumbo, it's none o'yer business."

"Stormy be my friend, Carcajou."

Wolverine looked up to the taller man and bared his canines. "Drop it, Cajun."

"Non." Remy replied simply. "I been bitin' my tongue for de past two months."

"Then keep on bitin'."

"What's de matter, homme? You've never been hurt by a woman before?" Remy almost spat.

"You don't know what yer talkin' about, so drop it." Logan said angrily.

"Remy thinks he maybe hit a nerve."

"Yer one t'talk about women, Remy."

"Remy jus' talkin' about Stormy." Remy said smoothly.

Shooting Remy an annoyed look, Logan turned away from his teammate.

"You better apologize to Stormy, is all Remy's sayin'." Gambit said, walking away.

"Kiss my ass." Logan replied, walking in the opposite direction. "I ain't the one who needs t'apologize."

Remy stopped but Logan continued walking away.

"What're you talkin' about, homme?" He called after him.

Logan didn't reply as he turned the corner. His nostrils were suddenly filled with the soft smells of vanilla and sandalwood. He cursed inwardly for not paying attention, but he wasn't about to turn around. Remy had distracted him and now he was walking straight towards the woman he wanted to avoid.

Ororo stood in the hall outside of the library speaking with Rogue, when she saw Logan. Rogue saw her friend's face go slightly pale and she turned her head, smiling sadly at Logan. Logan had stopped walking and was watching the women.

"Ah, um, ah gotta run." She said to Storm and quickly walked into the library. The door softly clicked behind her.

"Hello, Wolverine." Ororo said, her back visibly stiffening.

"Hey." Logan replied.

They stood about ten feet apart, an uncomfortable silence filling the hall.

"Is there something you need?" Ororo finally asked.

Logan contemplated her question and glanced at her stomach.

"Ya got dirt on yer shirt."

Ororo was surprised that he wasn't being sarcastic and she glanced down. Her brand new white blouse had a large smudge of dirt on it and she frowned.

"Thank you." She forced herself to say, brushing away most of the offending dirt.

"Don't mention it." Logan replied, walking towards her.

Ororo quickly looked up as she heard him walking. He didn't say anything more to her as he reached for the library doors.

"Logan?" Ororo began. It was the first time she had called him Logan in two months and he could've sworn he felt his heart skip a beat.

"Yeah?" Logan's hand rested on the doorknob, but he didn't look at her.

"I…" Ororo trailed off. He turned his head towards her, waiting. "Could we talk?"

"Maybe another time." He replied, shifting so he was facing her. "I'm meeting Jubilation in a few minutes."

Ororo nodded, then turned and walked down the hall.

Logan watched her go and, cursing to himself, walked into the library.

"Well played." Rogue drawled from a large chair by the window. Her legs were pulled up under her and she had a book open in her lap. Rogue's eyes were on the page in front of her but she knew it had been Logan who walked into the room.

"I don't remember askin' fer yer opinion, swamp rat." Logan growled.

Rogue looked up from her book and shrugged.

"Ah've been quiet for months about this." She replied simply. "Everyone has, so if Ah offer mah opinion this once, then don't tell me to shut my trap since Ah haven't bothered ya at all. Yoah lucky no one's said anythin' earlier."

"I've already had an earful from the Cajun. I don't need any more from you, Rogue." Logan said, walking by her. However, Rogue noticed his tone wasn't sharp any longer, but quiet almost.

Before she could reply, he was already gone.

* * *

One month later…

Logan stood outside of the center of the flower garden, watching Ororo work with the rich soil. Since that day in hallway, the two had fallen back into their routine of avoiding each other. It took a slap from Jubilee to set him straight.

_"You are being such a GUY!" She had yelled, slapping his face during a sparing session in the Danger Room. Jubilee had been training with Logan for months now and it was the first time she solidly hit him._

_Shocked more than anything, Logan stopped the program, touching his face where her small hand had left a red mark._

_"Go talk to her." Jubilee demanded. She was the only one who had been able to talk to him about Ororo and not get a death threat. Of course, she knew that and was using it to her advantage._

_"She's been avoidin' me, kid. She doesn't want t'talk to me." Logan replied._

_"Oh bullshit."_

_"Watch yer mouth."_

_"Whatever, Wolverine.__ Where do you think I picked up the fine art of swearing?" She asked rhetorically._

_Logan__ sighed._

_Jubilation rolled her eyes. _

_"Listen, I've seen the way you look at her on the rare occasion you're actually in the same room together." Jubilee said without hesitation. "I know you miss her. Everyone knows, but that's not the point."_

_"Then what's yer flamin' point?" He growled. _

_"Yer growls never bothered me before, Wolvie, why on earth would they start now?" She asked with a hand on her hip. "My 'flamin' point', as you put it, is you're miserable without her. Would it be so awful to be friends again?"_

_Logan looked at his protégé, deciding if he should be annoyed at her persistence or not.___

_"Why not just give it a try?" She suggested when he didn't respond to her question. "If it doesn't work as friends, you can at least say you tried. You care too much about her to ignore her forever, ya know."_

_"Yeah, I know." He admitted, running a hand over his face._

_"Plus, she asked you t'talk last month and you never made the effort to talk to her. You told her later and when it was later, you chickened out. Get yer head outta your ass and go knock on her door."_

_Their conversation had ended there as Jubilee walked out of the Danger Room, showing him that she had said all that she intended to._

Twenty minutes later, Logan was finally leaving the Danger Room. He had run a short workout to try to clear his mind but it hadn't really worked.

Mulling over Jubilee's words, Wolverine wandered the halls and was somewhat surprised when he found himself outside of the attic loft door. Deciding it was now or never, Logan knocked and waited five minutes before entering. When he found the room empty, he decided to hunt her down. He walked through the mansion and followed her scent outside until he found her working on her knees in the garden.

"Hey." He greeted, causing her to jump.

"I didn't hear you approach." Ororo said, her tone radiating with annoyance.

"Sorry, didn't mean t'interrupt. I'll leave ya t'tend yer flowers." Logan took the annoyance as a hint to leave and turned to go.

"Wolverine, wait." She said, leaning back and pulled her legs in front of her. "What is it that you need?"

"I thought I'd take ya up on that talk ya wanted last month." He said as he leaned back against one of the statues, keeping a ten-foot distance between them.

Surprised, Ororo nodded and pushed herself up onto the side of the large stone fountain.

"So, what did ya want t'talk about?" Logan asked, pulling out a cigar from his shirt pocket.

Letting out a deep breath, Ororo readied herself for a difficult conversation. She watched his match flash as he lit the small wooden stick and began lighting the cigar.

"I was wondering if it would be possible for us to be friends again." She said, looking at him in hopes of seeing his reaction. Knowing she was watching him, Logan kept his face neutral and didn't move much as he puffed on his cigar.

"Friends, eh?"

She nodded, waiting for him to continue. Logan rolled the cigar between his forefinger and thumb, thinking. Smoke swirled up around his face as Ororo anxiously waited for a response.

"What prompted this?" He asked, trying to stay neutral.

"I've known you for over eight years and we always managed to stay friends, no matter how bad things were with the team." She began carefully. "I value our friendship, Logan, and it pains me to know I haven't been able to call you a friend for the past three months. More to the point, I don't like this continued tension between us."

Pulling on the cigar, Logan let the smoke filter out through the side of his mouth.

"I realize it's my fault." Ororo continued when he made no response. "I'm sorry, Logan. I didn't think it would ruin our friendship. But if we cannot salvage our friendship, if you do not want to, then we need to at least maintain some form of a relationship, even if it's strictly professional."

She added, "This tension that is building between us will eventually become dangerous in the field."

Logan didn't reply as he studied his cigar. He knew he was using it as a distraction, but he couldn't think of anything to say.

"I dunno about a friendship." He finally replied.

Ororo nodded and stood up to leave, her eyes glistening in the spring sun.

His expression softened slightly as the love of his life wiped at her eyes, trying to prevent tears from falling.

"I'm sorry for wasting your time, Wolverine." Her voice was steady, but Logan knew she was barely holding it together.

"Ya hurt me deep in January, Ororo." He finally said to her back in a soft and gentle tone. Ororo recognized it immediately and felt like crying. It had been the tone he reserved for her when they had been alone in bed over the holidays. "I'm not a man to easily forgive something like that."

Paused in her stride, Ororo looked over her shoulder at him.

"But I'm willin' t'give it a shot fer you."

She smiled as a few tears trickled down her cheek.

They stood there, a few feet apart, unsure of what to do next. It had been an odd few months and Ororo wasn't sure if things were supposed to be perfectly normal again.

"Whaddya say we make some lunch?" Logan asked as he noticed how high the sun had risen.

"That sounds wonderful." Ororo agreed, pulling off her gardening gloves.

* * *

Logan and Ororo sat on the back patio at one of the smaller round tables with half-eaten sandwiches in front of them. For once, the mansion was quiet, as most of the team had gone out for the day. Saturday afternoon shopping was something of a ritual for the members of the X-Men since they rarely had time for it during the week.

"No shopping fer you today?" Logan asked.

"There is only so much of that mall I can stand." She admitted. "After being dragged there last Saturday by Rogue and Jubilee, I decided to garden today."

"In other words, hiding."

She smiled and nodded.

"Jubilee doesn't dare go near the garden after she destroyed my rose bushes last year."

"Well, ya gotta admit, it was well worth the damage to see her roller bladin' with the Cajun." He chuckled, thinking of the memory.

"I suppose it was more Remy's fault than hers that he couldn't stay up on those ridiculous roller blades." Ororo said wistfully. "Who knew the man with natural agility would fall into a rose bush and pull Jubilee in with him?"

"They were covered in thorns. Hank couldn't stop laughing when he was pulling them out from the Cajun's ass."

"Yes, it was fortunate for Jubilation that she only had a few in her arms and legs."

"A few? Hank pulled out about thirty."

"Well, compared to Gambit's eighty, I should think thirty would have been a blessing."

They fell into a comfortable silence then, both amused by the memory of Remy cursing in French as Hank slowly pulled each thorn from his backside.

If Logan hadn't known any better, he would've thought Hank was purposely going slow and enjoying the howls from Remy.

"How is Jubilation doing with her training?" Ororo asked, twirling a straw in her cup of iced tea.

"Great." Logan said, clearly proud. "She's a fast learner when she's not shooting off at the mouth. Actually managed to hit me earlier."

"Impressive. You must be a good teacher."

"You would know. Remember our sessions, back in the day?"

"Of course." She smiled. "How could I forget you teaching me hand-to-hand fighting and weapon handling?"

Logan raised an eyebrow, realizing she was teasing him "Charles was thinking it might be time to begin the more physically challenging aspect of her training." Ororo said, smiling to herself.

"He hasn't mentioned anything t'me." He commented.

"Well, I spoke with him just this morning regarding her training. Also, this type of training doesn't exactly involve you." Ororo explained. "She needs to be able to handle being teleported, for one."

"So I assume we'll be seeing the Elf?" Logan asked, pleased.

"He should be arriving tomorrow."

"Good."

"She'll also begin training with the flyers to learn how to adapt to free fall situations."

Logan seemed concerned but he didn't say anything.

"Do not worry, Logan." Ororo said. "Rogue, Warren and I will not let any harm come to her."

He grunted in response as his heard a distant engine pulling up the driveway.

"Sounds like Rogue's home."

"Good, I need to speak with her about Jubilee's training." The weather goddess stood up slowly and stretched her back. Logan heard a few pops as she cracked her back.

"Back hurtin' ya?"

"It's just a little tight."

"I could try t'work out some kinks." He offered.

"Perhaps later." Ororo said, her voice wavering a bit. She hated to admit it, but she was slightly uncomfortable with the thought of his hands on her back. "I must grab Rogue before she runs out again."

Logan nodded as she picked up her plate.

"I'll see you later." She said, walking towards the kitchen.

The waver in her voice, while slight, was more than enough information for Logan. She didn't want a physical relationship like they had before they dated. He used to give her back massages from time to time after missions and she was always happy to take him up on the offer. That had definitely changed, he thought in disappointment. If he couldn't be her lover, Logan was hoping he could still be her close friend.

Perhaps it was too soon, he thought. The entire conversation had started off extremely awkward – they had started off by talking about themselves and what had been going on over the past three months. However, after they started talking about their teammates, they fell into a much more comfortable zone. It had almost been like old times. Until that waver in her voice, Logan couldn't tell anything had ever been wrong between them. But now he realized there was still a distance between them and it would probably take a while before it was gone.

* * *

Well, guys, what do you think? I know it's started off as a more fluffy romance, but I wanted to throw in a twist and make it a little more real. Anyways, please review, even if you hated it, so I know if I should continue!

PAF  
Jubes 


	15. Desire

PART 15: Desire

By the time August rolled around, Jubilee was knee deep with various X-Men training sessions. Her time was occupied most of the day and Logan saw less and less of her. In fact, he really only saw her in their martial arts lessons. With Jubilee slowly being pulled away from him, he found himself alone most of the time. While he usually butted heads with the men on the team, he genuinely enjoyed the company of his female teammates. Unfortunately, Jean was often busy with Scott and Betsy wasn't the warmest person these days, although Warren was spending a lot of time with her as of late. Rogue and Remy were attached at the hip, so that left Ororo.

Their conversations still revolved around their teammates. It was if they couldn't bring themselves to talk about their personal lives. It was X-Men talk or no talk at all. Logan had settled for that in April, but it was beginning to grate on his nerves. Four months of reminiscing was driving him absolutely mad.

It didn't seem to bother Ororo at all, he noticed. She was content to talk about their past adventures and exploits as X-Men. She also enjoyed talking about their time spent with their teammates off the field. He didn't know what to do and he certainly didn't want to drive her away by changing the subject. But honestly, how many stories could they discuss before they began repeating them? Eight years of memories had lasted for four months' worth of conversations. It was beginning to get difficult to find something new to discuss.

"Good afternoon, Logan." Ororo greeted, meeting him for lunch as usual.

"How'd the flying lesson go?"

"Well, Jubilee has finally stopped screaming when we drop her, so I suppose it's an improvement." She joked. "Of course, she has been handling herself extremely well, but until today she couldn't hold in those incredibly loud screams of hers."

"I know the ones." Logan said.

Ororo nodded, but found she had nothing more to say. It was becoming quite apparent to her that her plan was slowly failing. By keeping the conversation away from more personal matters, Ororo had hoped they would fall back to their old ways. Unfortunately, she didn't count on how difficult it would be to keep their personal lives out of their everyday conversations. She found herself coming very close to slipping on more than one occasion. Luckily, she always managed to cover up the cracks in her façade easily by always turning the conversation to something that had happened years ago.

She constantly wondered what would have happened had she been stronger. Ororo knew it was her own weakness that caused her heart to ache everyday when she ate lunch with Logan. If only she had been strong enough to admit her feelings were worth fighting for, then she would've stayed the course. She could've made it work. Her mind continuously replayed that horrible fight by the lake and she cringed each time. While normally Ororo never regretted her choices, the one concerning the man next to her weighed heavily on her mind daily.

_Goddess, could we still be happy together? Is it too late to save what we had started so many months ago?,_ she thought. Shaking her head, Ororo slowly put her glass of water to her lips.

Whenever she thought of these questions, she was always unsure of the answer. In her heart, she thought they could be happy. But in her mind, she always reminded herself of the destruction that ridiculous argument had caused to her friends and home.

Logan watched Ororo casually as they sat in silence. Her eyes were unfocused, staring ahead but not really looking at anything. Her lunch sat untouched while her fingers traced circles along the rim of her glass. The slight line was forming between her eyes. Her lips formed a thin line and she seemed to almost hold her breath. The expression was one she often wore on a mission when she was weighing the pros and cons of the situation the team was in. Logan couldn't help but wonder what she was debating within her mind.

"I'm sorry, Logan, but I just remembered Hank asked me to join him in the lab." Ororo suddenly announced.

It was a lie, but she needed to get away from him before she asked him to give her a second chance. The question was on the tip of her tongue but she dared not utter it.

_Maybe we could try to pick up where we left off in January. Would you like to join me for dinner?_

It was such a simple question but the answer frightened her to no end. Instead of being the confident woman she had grown to be, Ororo fled like a frightened child to the confines of her room.

* * *

Sorry it's so short…the next chapter is longer and just about done. I'm just rereading it and it should be posted by the end of the day…I swear, things will get better between them…it's just taking a while. ;-)

What did you think? Any reviews, good or bad, are welcome!

Jubes 


	16. I'll be Missing You

PART 16: I'll be Missing You

He couldn't remember the time the alarms blared through the mansion during the wee hours of the morning. All he would be able to recall later is a sense of dread as he ran down the corridors, uniform half-pulled up his torso. His fellow teammates all looked the same as they fought to pull on the rest of their uniform en route to the War Room.

"Ah hate that damned alarm!" Rogue shouted over the klaxon.

"No shit." Logan growled in response just as the alarm quieted.

"Someone hit the button." Bobby said from the back of the elevator.

The lift began to descend quickly and soon they were running down the metal hallways of the lower levels. The War Room's light was already on and Scott Summers and Ororo Munroe stood in the center of the room. Jean and Hank were already seated, both looking extremely worried.

The team, knowing the drill, sat in their normal chairs and waited for the leaders to get down to business. Gloves were pulled on and uniforms were zipped up as they took their seats.

"We have a situation involving Jubilee." Scott began. Worry lines were clearly evident on his brow, but he went on as if it were any teenager. Logan felt his heart drop but he ignored the pain in his chest.

"She went out to the mall around seven o'clock last night and hasn't returned." He plowed on. "Jean scanned the grounds for her presence during her rounds about twenty minutes ago and was the first to notice she wasn't home. Hank was able to hack into the surveillance feed from the mall and this is what we found."

Cyclops hit play and the screens surrounding the room lit up with a black and white picture. The image was frozen, showing an unconscious Jubilee on the shoulder of a large, rather bulky man.

Sabretooth.

A low growl filled the room and the others glanced at Logan.

"We need to send a stealth team into the mall." Ororo continued for Scott. "Gambit, Wolverine, Psylocke and I will break into the mall to see if we can find any trace of her scent, any possible psychic residue or any other clues. Hank will monitor our progress from here and erase the security files as we go. Jean is going to scan the area using Cerebro to see if she can pinpoint Jubilee's location, but Jubilee is extremely hard to track telepathically."

"The rest of you will remain here, awaiting word from either Storm's team or Jean." Scott concluded. "I've contacted Xavier at Muir Island and he's on his way back to help Jean with the telepathic search."

"Let's go." Ororo said, looking to Gambit, Wolverine and Psylocke.

* * *

Fog shrouded the mall as Storm led her team in through the ventilation system. The metal grate swung open easily after Storm carefully removed the screws and picked the padlock that secured the outdoor grate in place. Wolverine and Gambit both kept a close eye on their field leader, concerned for her claustrophobia, as Psylocke took the lead. Storm followed Wolverine and Gambit brought up the rear, carefully pulling the grate closed behind them.

They slowly but quietly made their way into the mall and soon found themselves high above the first floor.

"Now or never." Betsy said softly. The screws were on the inside, so Psylocke wasn't too concerned. Reaching her thin fingers through the grating, she held onto the screen as she easily began to unscrew each one.

With a glance at Logan over her shoulder, Betsy pulled the grate up and then slid over the opening to drop her legs down. Wolverine watched Psylocke's muscles strain as she held herself over the floor but then her fingers let go. She gracefully somersaulted to the floor below, landing with a soft thud. Logan followed her lead and soon the four X-Men were standing on the floor of the mall.

"Dat's gonna be hard to get back to, mes amis." Gambit noted, looking up. The grate was about fifteen feet up.

"We'll worry about that later, Gambit." Storm said. "Wolverine?"

Nodding his head, Wolverine quickly padded through the mall. The others followed close behind as he tracked Jubilee's scent easily through the mall. As they came close to the west entrance, he stopped. The others waited, knowing he would either continue or start prowling the area.

The distinct odor of Victor Creed filled his nostrils and the hackles rose on his arms and neck. The scent mingled with Jubilee's and a thick copper scent filled his nose.

"He hurt her." He growled. Logan dropped into a crouch and slid his fingers across the floor. A strong antiseptic scent burned his sensitive nose but he continued to feel the floor.

"How badly?" Ororo asked.

"There was a lot of blood." Came his somber voice. "The mall folks cleaned up the stain, but the scent's still strong."

Wolverine stood and began walking in small circles.

"They fought but Jubilee's no match fer him." He said softly, walking the path Jubilee had taken.

"Look at the column, mes braves." Gambit said, pointing to a cracked plaster column.

Psylocke ran her hand over the column and a purple butterfly flashed across her eyes. Her eyes became unfocused as she concentrated on the image she was receiving from the area.

"He caught her by surprise, just outside of that store." Betsy said, pointing over Logan's shoulder.

"Show us." Storm said simply. Psylocke's power flared and soon they all saw the short, confusing images she was picking up.

Jubilee had a few bags in her hands as she exited the store, only to be thrown into the column. Creed didn't give her much of a chance to defend herself. Jubilee tried, but after she slammed him with a strong assault of pyrotechnics, he quickly slashed open her back and she fell to the ground. Other images flashed, but they were too jumbled.

"That's all I can get." Psylocke said, ending the link. "Jubilee always leaves very confused psychic imprints, but she was trying to concentrate. Jean and I have been working with her on projecting events when she's in trouble. She's doing better." She concluded, more to herself than to the others.

"That doesn't exactly help us." Logan spat.

"Wolverine, please." Storm said, holding a hand up to him. "Can you track them?"

"Open the door." He said, pointing to the main entrance doors. Storm nodded to Gambit.

"I'll take care of the grate we opened." She announced. "I'll meet you outside in five minutes."

Without another word, Ororo gently rose into the air, careful not to disrupt the immediate area. She didn't want to disrupt any possible scent Logan was picking up.

Gambit made short work of the doors and he led the way outside. Wolverine's head tilted to the ground slightly as he began to scent the area. He quickly began running towards the parking lot. Psylocke and Gambit followed as Betsy alerted Storm to their whereabouts. The thick fog continued to hide their presence even though the sun was slowly rising.

The trail came to a stop at an empty parking space, but Logan could still detect Jubilee's scent on the air. It was cold out and the November air held scents longer than hot air. It was old and barely there, but he knew it immediately. She must've cracked a window without Creed knowing. Either that, or Sabretooth wanted Jubilee to be found. His money would've been placed on the latter.

"I need my bike." He announced.

"Will this one do?" Storm asked as she easily landed behind them.

He turned and saw her pointing to a Harley that was sitting in a space behind them.

"Awful convenient, ain't it?" Gambit asked, clearly dubious.

"It's early." Betsy began. "The cleaners would be here, no doubt."

"Yeah, but how many cleaners have the money for a hog?"

"It does not matter, Wolverine." Storm said simply. "If it was left here for us to find, then so be it. Jubilation's life is in danger and we cannot question our good fortune."

The others agreed and Gambit quickly began to fiddle with the ignition. After a few minutes of swearing in French, the motorcycle roared to life.

"I'll follow behind you." Storm said to Wolverine as the feral mutant mounted the bike.

"Gambit, Psylocke, you two head back to the mini-jet and alert the others. Follow the signal on my comm. badge and follow us."

Nodding, Gambit and Psylocke quickly ran towards the stairs leading to the top of the parking garage where the cloaked mini-jet sat.

"We'll find her, Logan." Ororo said as soon as the others were out of ear shot.

Simply nodding in response, Wolverine fired up the engine and sped off, peeling out as he went. The acrid scent of burned rubber assaulted Ororo's nose as she took off after Wolverine.

* * *

It had been nearly nine hours since Creed had surprised her. Jubilee lay on her stomach on the cold cement floor, cursing her stupidity. She let her guard down and now she was suffering the consequences.

The deep gashes on her back ached but the pain was dulled compared to when he first sliced them open. The blood had stopped seeping down her sides, so she took that as a good sign that they were clotting.

Lightheaded and in pain, Jubilee opened her eyes and chanced a look around. A dim light shone down on her, giving her very little detail of the room.

"Look who's awake." Came a taunting voice from the shadows.

Jubilee didn't reply, choosing instead to take the time to take in her surroundings. The light illuminating her immediate surroundings, but dark shadow filled the rest of the space. By the echo the voice held, it was a large room but she couldn't be sure how large. She thought she saw splinters of light, but the darkness and pain skewed her perception. The rays of light were far away, giving her a better sense of how large the room actually was. Maybe the light came from cracks in dirty windows, or spaces between boards that covered the windows. Either way, she was certain she saw some glimpse of sunshine from where she lay. Jubilation was also fairly certain she was on the floor of an old warehouse, but Lord knows where it was located. If it was truly sunshine she saw and not artificial light, she had been passed out for much longer than she initially thought. It would have to be at least six in the morning and Creed found her around ten the night before.

She felt cool metal on one wrist but assumed it was a shackle of some kind. Her other limbs were free from any other restraints.

"No witty replies?" Creed's voice taunted again. "I'm shocked."

"Go fuck yourself." Jubilee said, surprised at how raspy her voice sounded. Her throat was dry and it hurt to talk.

Creed stepped into the light but Jubilee could only see his legs. It hurt to lift her head any higher and her back sent waves of pain through her body as she tried to look up.

Bending down, Creed lifted her chin at an angle so she could see his face. Desperately trying to hide her pain, Jubilee screwed up her face in what she hoped conveyed disgust, not pain. The feel of his hands on her chin made her nauseous but she pushed the feeling down.

"No use ignorin' the pain, frail." Sabretooth said, licking his canines. "Yer gonna be dead soon enough, so ya might as well enjoy the sensation while you can."

"Haven't you heard?" Jubilee replied. "X-Men don't die easy."

The madman laughed then and dropped her chin. "Yeah, too bad you ain't an X-Man yet."

Jubilation couldn't find a suitable response, so she remained silent. Let him do the talking while she tried to gain control of the pain that was rippling through her body.

"Just so ya know, girly, yer powers aren't gonna help you." He said, grasping her wrist harshly. "Y'see this?"

Her eyes drifted down her arm and saw a thick metal band with a blinking light on it wrapped tightly around her wrist. It looked like a small version of those Genoshan collars.

"Power inhibitor." Jubilee replied. A tremble in her voice displayed her fear and she cursed her vocal cords for betraying her.

"Maybe you're not as dumb as I thought." Creed said, raking one of his claws along her arm. A thin trail of blood followed his claw and he licked the blood off. "Just as sweet as I thought."

Jubilee grimaced and looked away.

The power inhibitor meant she wasn't chained down. She was free to move, but Creed knew the pain that shot through her body wouldn't allow her to get very far. Her own physical weakness and pain were imprisoning her. Jubilee fought down the bile that rose in her throat as she realized that.

"The runt should've been here by now, frail." Creed announced as he stood up. "Which means they either don't know yer missing or they don't care."

Jubilee knew he was trying to bait her, so she ignored him.

"Whaddya think?" He asked, circling her beaten body. "Still hoping that loser'll show up and save the day?"

When Creed noticed she was actively ignoring him, he reached down and ran two claws down the back of her right leg. They easily cut through the denim and blood began welling up.

"You fucker!" She screamed out, turning on her side. It only served to cause her more pain but she was able to pull her legs up and away from his hands. A pain filled scream echoed off the walls and she cursed herself for giving into the pain.

Again, his laughter echoed off the walls of the room and he pushed her on her back. White pain seared across the young woman's back but she held in the second scream that threatened to slip out of her mouth. She refused to give him the satisfaction.

"You really wanna see a fucker?" He threatened, leaning over her.

The fear that filled her eyes made him laugh again and he leaned back.

"Looks t'me that yer beggin' fer it." Creed said, clearly enjoying her growing terror.

Jubilee suddenly smiled and licked her lips, causing Creed to growl slightly.

"You know I want it." She said in what she hoped was a seductive voice. Jubilee was mimicking Betsy and knew Psylocke wouldn't be too pleased to know that.

Creed leaned over her again and licked his canines yet again. Taking her cue, Jubilee quickly brought her knee up hard and slammed him between his legs. The force of her blow would've matched Psylocke's and Sabretooth howled out in pain.

"You bitch!" He spat, slamming the back of his hand across her face. Blood sprang from her mouth but she wasn't knocked unconscious. Rolling off of the girl, Creed stood up, hunched over, and backed away.

Stars flashed before her eyes as she felt pain exploding on the left side of her face from the impact of his backhand. Fighting against the darkness that threatened to overwhelm her, Jubilee forced her eyes open.

"Was it as good for you as it was for me?" She managed to say through clenched teeth. Amazed that her jaw wasn't broken, Jubilee turned on her side and wanted to scream as she felt her wounds sticking to the cement. Instead, she forced herself to laugh at Creed as he stood hunched over in pain.

"You'll pay for that one, frail." Sabretooth warned before stepping back into the shadows.

She heard a door open and close in the distance and then it went silent. Slowly pushing herself around, Jubilee faced the direction of the noise and waited.

Jubilation tried to sit up, but the long gashes on her back screamed out in protest. Knowing it would feel better to lay flat on her stomach, Jubilee had to resist the urge to change her position. She was at a better vantage point on her side and would be able to see an attack coming. Her head was spinning as a wave of vertigo came over her. Probably from the loss of blood, she surmised. But she refused to succumb to the lightheaded felling and fought to keep her eyes open. Taking a deep breath, Jubilee lay still and prayed Wolverine would show up soon.

Moments later, she felt the darkness overwhelm her and everything went black.

* * *

Please R&R…and I promise we'll see some RoLo moments in the upcoming chapter…

Jubes


	17. O Come O Come Emmanuel

A/N: Sorry for such a horribly long wait for this chapter. I re-wrote it about five times and I finally found it to my liking. I've had some nasty writer's block for the past seven months or so, but now that I have it going in a way I enjoy, I'll be writing more. I hope to finish up this story in a few more chapters…but maybe not. We'll see how it goes, right? Please let me know what you think of this chapter!

* * *

PART 17: O Come, O Come Emmanuel

When Jubilee woke up, she was surprised to find herself in a soft, warm bed. The young woman was even more surprised when she realized she couldn't feel any pain. In fact, as she sat up, Jubilation realized that she could move quite freely and it didn't even tingle. It had to be a dream. But it felt so real, she kept telling herself. And if it wasn't a dream, where was Creed? Why would he put her in a bed?

Deciding it was, in fact, real, Jubilee realized she was in the medical lab at the school. She didn't remember getting there, but she felt like she was on cloud 9. Safe. She was finally safe.

Looking around, her heart sank as she focused on the bed next to her. Logan lay there, wrapped in numerous bandages, nearly lifeless. The gentle rise and fall of his chest was the only indication that he was alive. Jubilee was suddenly reminded of Psylocke and the injuries she had sustained in fighting Creed two years ago.

"Ah, my lovely patient is finally awake!"

Jubilee turned towards Hank as if she was still asleep. This couldn't be real. Please let this be a dream.

"Hank?" She asked, hoping she would wake up.

"Yes indeed, Jubilation." The blue doctor replied with a toothy grin. "How do you feel?"

"O-Ok." She stammered.

"You've been unconscious for a week now." He explained, scribbling a note on her medical chart. "I kept you sedated, so you might feel a little light-headed right now. It's just a side effect of the drugs, but it'll wear off in an hour or so."

"Logan?" Jubilee asked, looking back to the man who meant so much to her.

"Ah, don't worry about him right now." Hank said, pulling the curtain closed and blocking her view. "Let's concentrate on you for the moment."

Feeling numb, Jubilee simply nodded. She automatically responded to his questions as he checked her vitals. He seemed to be overly happy, she noted. That meant Logan was in a bad way. He always over-did it when things were serious.

"Alright, why don't I take you up to your room and get you some breakfast?" He suggested.

"What's with the small words and happy expression, Hank?" Jubilee asked, putting her hand up. "What's going on with Logan? What the hell happened?"

Henry paused and looked at Jubilee with his brow furrowed slightly.

"Wolverine and Storm were the first to find you." Hank began, pinching the bridge of his nose as he spoke. "Being hell-bent on finding you, Logan did not wait for back-up, which isn't all that unusual. Fortunately, Ororo only injured her leg while she freed you. Logan, on the other hand, sustained massive trauma."

"Massive…?" She whispered.

"He was literally dead for nearly thirty minutes." Ororo's voice said from behind a curtain. She stepped around the white barrier and limped towards Jubilee.

"Ororo, are you ok? I'm so stupid! I'm so sorry! Oh my God, I didn't mean for this to happen--"

Ororo held up her hand to stop the teenagers ranting and was surprised to see it worked. Jubilee took the chance to get a better look at her. The weather goddess looked ragged. Her eyes had dark circles beneath them and her hair was pulled back in a messy bun. Jubilee noted, with a grimace, that she was leaning on a cane rather heavily.

"Do not worry yourself about such matters, child. I will be perfectly fine in a few weeks time." She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Why don't you go get some breakfast? I'm sure you're hungry by now."

Jubilee didn't know what to say, so she simply nodded in response. Apparently satisfied with the wordless nod, Ororo limped away, the curtain swishing behind her. Hank began rattling off some orders, but Jubilee barely listened as she strained to get a glimpse of Logan.

* * *

After making sure Jean would look after Jubilee as she ate some food and got some proper rest, Henry returned to the medical lab an hour later with an empty wheelchair. Ororo was sitting next to Logan's prone form, holding his limp hand in hers. She nodded with a ghost of a smile to Hank as the doctor began checking Logan's wounds.

Hank replaced the bandage on Logan's stomach in silence as Ororo watched him work. The wound was healing well, but Hank was still concerned. It had been nearly seven days now and he still hadn't opened his eyes. This was the first time in all his years of knowing the man that Logan had remained unconscious for more than a day. The feral mutant had been clinically dead for twenty seven minutes, but Hank had finally managed to pull him back. Logan's vitals appeared normal, except for the fact he was still unconscious. He wasn't in a coma, just a deep healing sleep, as far as Henry could tell.

The lack of response unnerved the doctor. He didn't deal well with being unnerved.

It didn't help to have Ororo hovering constantly. But Hank knew better than to ask Storm to go and relax somewhere. She had kept a constant vigil over Logan ever since Hank had allowed her to get out of bed. It was all he could do to get her to sleep at night in the bed next to his.

"Any change?" Ororo asked.  
"His wounds are healing nicely."

"So that's a no."

"Yes, that's a no."

Ororo let out a short sigh, seemed to catch herself and stopped, and then nodded. It had been the same exchange every day now. Hank was certain Logan would wake any day now. Jean had even checked on his mind and everything was normal, if not a little quiet. Since neither Hank nor Jean seemed overly worried, Ororo felt it ridiculous to keep worrying so much. But it couldn't be helped.

Ororo Munroe was, after all, still in love with this man.

* * *

Six hours after Logan awoke on the ninth day, Hank finally cleared him and pronounced him as healthy as ever. He permitted the feral mutant to leave the infirmary on strict orders to "take it easy". Waving a hand behind him, Logan nearly sprinted from the medical lab. He truly hated the stench of sterile equipment and sick people and now the stink was all over his own body.

Making a bee-line for his bathroom, Logan managed to get there without any interruption for which he was grateful. A hot shower was needed, then food. A lot of food. Maybe he would ask Ororo to go to lunch. McCoy had mentioned that Ororo had been at his side almost every minute of each day. Jean had finally dragged her and Jubilee out to the mall that morning, so they were due home at any time. It was time for a serious talk, he decided.

After a shower. And lots of food.

Logan let the steaming hot water wash down his body for almost an hour. The stink of the med lab still lingered, but it was well hidden beneath the Japanese bathing oils he sometimes used in the shower. He leaned his head against the cool tile as the water beat down his back. Logan could feel his muscles relaxing, knowing his body would be sore for another day or two from lack of use.

His mind began to roll over the details of what Hank had told him earlier. Jubilee was well on her way to a full recovery. There would be scars, but nothing else. The same deal with Ororo, although the scarring would be less obvious as the wound had been on her upper thigh. Then Hank dropped the bomb – twenty seven minutes. He had been dead for so long. It hadn't felt that long in his mind, but he could vaguely remember seeing his life flash before his eyes. It had taken maybe thirty seconds, he had been sure of it. But maybe nothing happens after that? There was no light at the end of any tunnel, no red hot flames welcoming him to hell. Shaking the water from his eyes and the thoughts from his mind, Logan's hands slapped off the water and he stepped from the shower.

His brain was in automatic drive. Logan dried off his body and dressed without really thinking about it.

Dry body? Check. Jeans and a t-shirt? Check.

He ran a comb through his hair and slid on some socks.

Boots? Check.

Food?

His stomach rumbled in protest, seemingly upset that there was no check next to the food question. Amused at himself for even thinking in such terms and blaming Jubilee's influence, Logan took a last glance in his mirror before opening his door.

* * *

An intense smell of sandalwood and fresh rain hit his nose at the same time as the body it belonged to slammed into his own. Caught unawares, Logan almost fell back into his room with Ororo in his arms. No words were exchanged before her slick lips met his mouth in a passionate kiss.

Pleasantly surprised, Logan swept up Ororo in his arms as they continued to kiss, careful to be gentle with her leg, and he stepped back. Pushing the door shut with his foot, Logan returned the kiss with fervor and brought Ororo to the bed. Gently, he laid her down and he nearly fell on top of her as she pulled him down fiercely.

Her tongue darted into his mouth and he groaned as the warmth of her body pressed against his. Ororo's back arched up as his hand found her breast and Logan was quick to respond. Logan began unbuttoning her blouse and soon tore it off her, sending buttons to the floor. Still engaging his mouth, Ororo's hands began tugging at his t-shirt and he broke the kiss only to tear it over his head in disgust. Smiling with lust in her eyes, Ororo quickly laced a hand in his hair and pulled him back to her mouth.

His mouth began to trail kisses along her neck and soon he was pulling back the lace of her bra. Encouraged by her heavy breathing and small moans, Logan began to slowly suck on her breast while using his free hand to unbutton her shorts. She arched her hips as he slid the offensive clothing off. The shorts soon joined the other clothes thrown to the floor as Logan trailed kisses down her stomach.

The loud gasp, followed by a deep moan, told Logan he was on the right track and he smiled. Her nails raked through his hair and he saw goosebumps travel up her thighs as he kissed the inside of her leg.

Food could wait.

* * *

Slick with sweat, Logan propped himself up on an elbow and slowly traced circles around Ororo's stomach. She laughed and grabbed his hand.

"That tickles." She protested, kissing his finger.

"You didn't complain a little while ago."

Ororo flushed and chuckled. "That was under completely different circumstances."

Logan laughed and kissed her stomach, causing goosebumps to appear again. Ororo sighed and let him kiss his way up to her throat before she stopped him.

"You must be hungry." Ororo protested, rather weakly.

"Starved." He growled, nipping at her neck as she tried to push him back.

"Then let's take care of your stomach."

"I was trying to do that earlier, but something interrupted me. I can't recall what it was, though." Logan teased, his hand tracing circles on her stomach again. This time she didn't laugh. His mouth found its way back to her throat.

"Logan…"

"Hmm?"

"You'll need energy for tonight."

"Why? What's tonight?" He asked against her earlobe.

"Let's just that that this was an appetizer compared to what I have planned."

"I've always liked yer plans." Logan said, kissing her cheek softly. "Yer plans always work better than Cyke's."

Laughter greeted him as way of a response and Ororo slid from his loose embrace.

"Come along, love, and I'll take you to that horrid steakhouse you enjoy so much."

His stomach growled in response and they both laughed.

"Get dressed." Ororo said as she threw his jeans on his head.

"Yes, ma'am." He mock saluted her and quickly dressed.

* * *

What did you think? Please read and review!

Jubes


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